


Broken

by SongAngel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Major Illness, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-12-13 22:52:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 53,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11770086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SongAngel/pseuds/SongAngel
Summary: Hermione and Draco are some of the best healers that St. Mungo's has to offer. When they are forced to work together, Draco finds himself surrounded by wizards who were once enemies. Soon he realizes that Hermione has a secret that could kill her, and that all of the wizarding world could be at risk.





	1. The New Partner

**Author's Note:**

> This story has a few tense moments in later chapters. I just wanted to make sure to offer a warning that descriptions of a real, potentially fatal illness. If such a thing would be too much for you, you may not wish to read this. If you can hang with me, this story offers lots of warm and fuzzy feels and a good dose of humor.

The sound of coffee being poured into cups broke the morning silence at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Harry Potter carefully prepared a cup for himself and one for each of his best friends. He glanced up briefly as Ron Weasley shuffled into the kitchen and grabbed the cup that Harry indicated with a tiny jerk of his head.

Ron took a cautious sip of his coffee and sighed gratefully before peering over the rim of his cup at Harry. "Your hair looks ridiculous," Ron muttered.

Harry snorted with amusement. His black hair was almost always rather untidy, but in the mornings it would stick up in all different directions. But to be fair, Ron's vibrant red hair was no better in the mornings. Harry shot a pointed look at Ron's messy hair, grinning when Ron just shrugged carelessly. His smile faded just slightly when he saw Hermione Granger enter the kitchen.

Hermione was already dressed for work. She had paired a lovely royal blue blouse with a knee-length black skirt and comfortable flats. She wore her white healer robes over her clothes but had left them open for the moment. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, her long chestnut curls trailing to the middle of her back. As she accepted her cup of coffee, Harry noted that she was wearing a bit more make-up than was usual. It wasn't extravagant, and it didn't appear that Ron had noticed at all. But, Harry could see how tired she looked.

Harry watched Hermione sip her coffee silently, knowing that she was aware of his gaze. It wasn't until Ron left the room to take a shower that Hermione met Harry's eyes.

"Did you sleep at all?" Harry asked, concern lacing his tone.

Hermione's eyes dropped to her nearly empty cup. Harry was just far too observant. His concern was touching, but she hated to have him worry about her. "Obviously not well," she admitted.

Harry stepped around the counter and stood in front of Hermione with a frown. He gently tugged the cup from her hands and set it on the counter before drawing her into his arms. "You need to slow down," he murmured, hugging her. "Why don't you request time off? You need a break."

Hermione pulled away gently, smiling fondly at Harry. "Now isn't a good time," she responded. "I have a meeting with the Head of St Mungos this morning, and I think he's giving me a new project."

"You don't need a new project," Harry retorted with a scowl, his green eyes narrowed at her.

"I'm fine," Hermione said firmly. "I love my work and a bit of fatigue isn't going to hinder that." She sighed at Harry's pained expression. She gave his hand a loving squeeze before moving away from him. "Get moving or you'll be late for work," she called over her shoulder before marching over to the fireplace and disappearing a swirl of green flames.

Several minutes later, Ron returned to the kitchen to find Harry dressed and ready to go. Harry's back rested against the counter and his arms were folded over his chest as he stared pensively at the empty cups on the counter-top. Ron smoothed down the front of his auror robes and eyed Harry anxiously. "Is Hermione alright?" he asked hesitantly.

Harry frowned and met Ron's eyes. "She's exhausted," Harry said tightly. "She's too stubborn to slow down, but she's worn out. Today she was wearing extra make-up to hide the fact that she looks so tired."

Ron's shoulder sagged slightly, but he straightened quickly and gave Harry's shoulder a comforting pat. "You know how she is," Ron said lightly. "We'll just keep an eye on her like we always do."

Harry forced himself to nod, but he was unable to shake the worry that tugged at his thoughts. He knew that Ron was just as concerned, but that the red-head would do what he could to encourage optimism. The two men exchanged smiles that weren't quite convincing, and apparated to the ministry to begin their work day.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione's morning had rushed by in a blur of patients and diagnostic charms. Just before lunch, she found herself seated in a plush chair in front of the ornate mahogany desk of Crispin Abbott, Head of St. Mungos. He was an older wizard, but it didn't stop him from being rather intimidating. His white beard was neatly trimmed. He mid-section had become a bit rounder as he aged, but his physique was still impressively athletic. His posture was perfectly straight and his robes were pristine. Everything about the man, demanded respect and perfection. But, his eyes settled on Hermione fondly and she felt herself relax into her chair a bit more.

Healer Abbott was known for being stern and unyielding. His expectations for the healers were alarmingly high at times. But, he seemed to have a soft spot for Hermione Granger and found himself encouraging and guiding her as her skills as a healer flourished.

"You look tired," Abbott noted, peering at Hermione with a speculative frown.

"I slept poorly," Hermione replied dismissively. "It happens. I'll be perfectly fine." She was pleased when he nodded in acceptance and looked down at some papers on his desk.

Abbott considered the file on his desk for a moment, uncertain of how Healer Granger would respond to what he planned to ask of her. "I had hoped that you would assist me with something," he said carefully. He glanced up to see her shift forward slightly in anticipation. "Your work with muggle medicine has been rather impressive and I wish to move toward expanding it into a department of it's own. That will take some time, but the first step is adding to the team." He paused and looked up at Hermione. "I have recently hired a wizard that's enormously talented and his interests align remarkably with yours. I had hoped that you'd consider working with him."

"Of course," Hermione responded instantly.

Abbott opened his mouth to suggest that she may want to know who the new healer was first, but he was interrupted by his office door opening suddenly. A witch stepped into the office with an apologetic look at Hermione. "So sorry to intrude Healer Abbott," the woman said hastily.

"Yes, what is it?" Abbott said, his tone bored.

"A Healer Malfoy is here to see you," the witch explained, her eyes darting to Hermione when she gasped.

Abbott's eyes darted to Hermione momentarily before he waved the other woman away. "Send him in," he said with a weary sigh. He winced at the flash of panic he saw in Hermione's eyes but before he could say anything else, Draco Malfoy was ushered into the office.

Hermione sat very still, not turning to look as Malfoy crossed the office to shake hands with Healer Abbott. She waited anxiously as Healer Abbott offered a pleasant greeting.

"I believe you're familiar with this young woman," Abbott said, indicating Hermione.

Malfoy turned and his eyes widened comically with shock. "Granger," he blurted out before he could stop himself. His jaw clenched momentarily as he seemed to collect himself. "I hadn't expected to see you," he said, sounding much more calm.

"Likewise," Hermione responded, shooting Healer Abbott a look of annoyance.

Malfoy sighed heavily. "You are the one I am expected to work with, aren't you?" he asked warily.

"So it would seem," she replied stiffly.

"Now, I expect professionalism from both of you," Abbott said sternly, his gaze darting between them. "If you cannot set aside your past grievances, say so at once."

Malfoy looked at Hermione uncertainly for a moment. Without shifting his gaze from her, he said "I have no problem with Healer Granger. But, she has reason to object to working with me."

Hermione considered Malfoy for a moment. He was wearing his hair rather short these days, and his features had filled out a bit to make him look less pointy and harsh. His posture was perfectly straight but he was very stiff, as if braced for an attack. His gray eyes were wary as he returned her thoughtful stare. He had the weary appearance of someone who felt utterly defeated. His shoulders slumped a bit under her gaze, and she was startled by the rush of sympathy she felt toward him.

"I'm willing to try if you are," Hermione said quietly.

"Excellent," Abbott said, before Draco could comment. "I expect great things from you both. Why don't you get something to eat and then you can discuss some of the current research?"

"Of course Sir," Hermione said, getting up from her chair. She waited while Malfoy shook Healer Abbott's hand once more. When he turned to face her, he gestured for her to precede him through the doorway. She led the way past the reception area and down a long hallway to her office.

Malfoy looked around the office with a smirk. It was lined with book shelves. The large desk held stacks of folders, quills and little pots of colored ink. On one side of the desk was a large comfy chair, and on the other side were two smaller chairs. He dropped into one of the smaller chairs, looking at Hermione expectantly.

For a long moment, they simply looked each other over pensively. But as Hermione opened her mouth to speak, Harry swept into the room carrying a large paper bag. "I brought lunch," he said, sounding pleased with himself. "Are you feeling better?" he asked, before he caught sight of Draco and nearly dropped the bag. "What's Malfoy doing here?"

"That's what my meeting was about," Hermione responded, sitting down with a sigh. She couldn't decide if Harry's timing was perfect or horrendous. "Healer Malfoy will be working with me on research."

"Do you feel comfortable with the arrangement?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione and ignoring Draco's indignant huff of breath. Harry's gaze was stern but anxious.

Hermione smiled slightly, her eyes darting to Draco for just a moment before she turned back to Harry. "I'm sure it will be fine," she said gently.

Harry peered at her for a moment and nodded in satisfaction before looking back at Malfoy. "Then congratulations Malfoy," Harry said cheerfully. "You must be good if they've partnered you with Hermione." He set the bag down on the desk and began pulling out containers of food. "Help yourself," he told Malfoy. "I brought more than enough."

Draco's eyes darted suspiciously between Harry and the food. He wasn't particularly trusting, and his relationship with Harry had always been strained at best. While he knew that the food would be safe for consumption, Draco wasn't keen on the idea of trying to eat while two former Gryffindors glared at him. "I'll just grab something at the cafe down the street," he said stiffly, rising from his chair.

"Just sit down!" Harry blurted out in exasperation. "We may as well get past this now." He sighed when Draco remained, but didn't sit back down. "The war is over. We're not students anymore. We all went through terrible things. Dwelling on a petty rivalry would be stupid. If we can't be friends, we can at least be civil." He smiled when Draco sat back down with a long suffering sigh. "I come and see Hermione often, so you'll be seeing me a lot," Harry added.

Draco snorted. "Don't you have a job Potter?" he asked. He nodded in thanks when Hermione handed him a plate of the Italian food that Harry had brought. The scent of fresh garlic bread, pasta and chicken made his mouth water.

"Of course," Harry replied. "I'm the Head of the Auror Department. But, if I get a break for lunch, I like to come and see this little know-it-all," he added, winking at Hermione. She rolled her eyes in response but smiled, handing him a plate of food. He eagerly bit into the garlic bread, moaning blissfully.

Draco watched Harry eat the bread for a moment before looking at Hermione. "I think these two need a moment alone," Draco said with a smirk, gesturing to Harry and the remaining portion of his garlic bread. Harry rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

"You should see Ron eat," Hermione commented with a giggle. "It's almost obscene."

"Where is Weasley anyway?" Draco asked, sampling the pasta.

"On a case," Harry replied, cutting into his chicken. "He'll be sorry that he missed having lunch with you," he added with grin.

"I'll bet," Draco muttered, shaking his head.

They ate in silence for a few moments, each wondering how long they'd manage to keep the peace. Draco was relieved to find that the other two had apparently accepted his presence so calmly. Neither seemed keen to bring up the mistakes in Draco's past. He supposed that he would need to actually apologize, but for the moment he was simply felt grateful for the chance to relax a little bit.

"So where have you been?" Harry asked suddenly, his eyes fixed on Draco. "You've managed to stay out of the papers."

Draco paused, his eyes focused on his plate. He hesitated, wondering how much he should tell his old rivals. Coming to a decision, he looked between Harry and Hermione with a sigh. "I went to France for a few years," he said finally. "I did my healer training there. I got married two years ago." He paused, but didn't look at his companions. "She died nine months ago. An angry ex-lover poisoned her morning coffee at work."

Hermione gasped and her eyes filled with tears while Harry looked horrified. "I'm so sorry Malfoy," Harry said sincerely. "I shouldn't have asked."

Draco sighed and gave a half-hearted shrug. "Your question was innocent enough," he muttered. "I did everything I could to keep out of the papers so few people in England knew about our marriage. I returned a few months ago so my mother could help with my son."

Harry had just taken a sip of his water and immediately choked in his surprise, spraying Draco. "What the hell Potter?" Draco cried, leaning away from Harry in disgust. Hermione pointed her wand at Draco, instantly drying the water. Her eyes were wide with surprise as she settled more comfortably in her chair again.

"Sorry," Harry said, coughing to clear his throat. "You have a baby?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes," Draco said quietly, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. He reached into a pocket in the front of his white robes and then held out a picture to Harry. "That's Scorpius," Draco said, pleased to see Harry's face light up with a smile.

"He looks just like you," Harry commented, handing the photo to Hermione.

Hermione gasped softly as she looked at the moving picture of a baby with slightly fuzzy blond hair. The infant flashed a happy smile and flapped his little arms. "He's gorgeous," Hermione said. "How old is he?"

"He's nearly eleven months old now," Draco replied. "My mother keeps him while I work. He's a good baby." He accepted the photo back from Hermione, smiling fondly at the image of his son.

Harry shook his head, having difficulty reconciling himself to the idea that Draco Malfoy was a father. It was hard to imagine, but it wasn't far fetched. A lot of their old school mates were married and having children. "Will we get to meet your son?" Harry asked.

Draco frowned, considering the idea. He certainly hadn't expected such a suggestion from Potter. "I suppose," Draco said slowly.

"Great," Harry said lightly, relieved that he hadn't simply gotten a scathing remark in response. He had been more than happy to play nice to aid in pleasant working conditions for Hermione, but awareness of Malfoy's status as a single father and the tragic death of his wife prompted more of an effort from Harry. The responsibility of raising a baby alone surely felt overwhelming. "We've got a party planned for Hermione's birthday next week. You should come and bring your son," he added, pleased with himself for remembering the party at such a moment and for offering his invitation in such a welcoming manner.

Draco looked a bit alarmed by the suggestion and glanced at Hermione. She offered him an encouraging smile. "We'd be glad to have you," she said gently. "We can speak to the others and make sure everyone will be on their best behavior. It won't be a large group," she added.

Draco looked between Harry and Hermione thoughtfully. He was impressed and rather pleased with their desire to move beyond their past. He'd wondered for a few years how different things would have been if he'd been friendly toward the Gryffindors. Now that they were no longer concerned with school rivalry and the war was over, Potter and Granger seemed far less irritating. Deciding that it would be worth a try, he set his plate on Hermione's desk, careful to prevent the fork from falling and making a mess. "Fine," he said finally, his tone bored. "I suppose there's no harm in making an appearance. Surely none of your... associates would starting hexing me if my son is present."

"I'll handle the others," Harry said firmly. Draco shrugged in response, taking a dignified sip of his water. They spent several minutes eating and chatting until Harry had to return to the Ministry. He hugged Hermione before offering his hand to Draco. Draco shook his hand hesitantly, and then watched as Harry cleaned up their lunch with a wave of his wand and left the room with a cheerful wave.

Draco sat for a moment, frowning in thought. "That was strange," he muttered. "He seems different."

"Indeed," Hermione agreed, resting her forearms on the surface of her desk. "Harry is very protective. Knowing him, this was a way for him to make sure that my working environment wouldn't become unpleasant. To be honest, he's wanted to approach you for quite some time. He felt guilty for the animosity between you, especially knowing about some of the things you were going through."

Draco nodded stiffly, not wanting to think about the war and his role in it. He had a permanent reminder burned into the skin of his left forearm. He met Hermione's eyes with a weary sigh. "And you?"

Hermione looked down at her hands for a moment, considering what she should say. "You were horrible to me in school," she said quietly. "You went out of your way to make sure that I knew that you saw me as inferior." She paused, pushing away the sudden flash of anger that flared within her chest. "We were students. Children. And you were raised with certain ideas about blood status. It doesn't excuse the way you treated me," she added sternly, scowling at him.

Draco looked back at her silently. He knew she was right, though he wasn't pleased with the idea of admitting it. To his surprise, her expression softened and she sighed.

"I'm willing to forgive you," Hermione said quietly. "If you are willing to work with me and look beyond my blood status..."

"I should have never said those things," Draco said quickly, cutting her off. "It would be idiotic of me to think that you're inferior to anyone, including myself. I truly did not know any better." He hesitated before continuing. "And for just being an arse in general... Well, I apologize."

For a moment, they just stared at one another. Hermione chewed her lower lip for a moment before reaching down to tug open a desk drawer and taking out a blue folder. She passed the folder to Draco without a word, her gaze fixed on his face.

Draco opened the folder and read over the first sheet of parchment, his eyebrows rising on his forehead. He took a few moments to glance through the rest of Hermione's notes, his expression unreadable. Finally, he closed the folder and met her eyes. "So you're going through each body system and incorporating muggle medical knowledge with medi-wizardry?" he asked her.

"Exactly," Hermione responded.

Draco peered at her thoughtfully. "St. Mungos is widely known as one of the best wizarding hospitals," he said carefully. "The Healers are top notch."

"That doesn't mean we can't be better," Hermione retorted. "There's no reason to limit ourselves." She rose from her comfy chair and began to pace restlessly. "Our healers don't do chest compressions. Why not? Even better than that would be to create a spell that'll mimic a muggle defibrillator. We can save even more lives. We can..."

"Calm down Granger," Draco drawled, interrupted her rant. "You don't have to convince me. I've looked into muggle healing myself and I agree with you. That's why Healer Abbott was so keen to have me work with you."

Hermione smiled and stepped around the desk to sift through the folder until she found her notes on the heart and vascular systems. She sat down in her chair again and leaned forward eagerly. "What do you know about deep vein thrombosis?"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry looked around the pub, pleased with its appearance for the evening. Seamus was the owner and had gladly closed his doors to the public for Hermione's birthday, and the place had been transformed into a sophisticated nightclub for the occasion. Each small table was covered with a pristine white table cloth and adorned with dark red rose petals and a lit candle. Fairy lights were draped across the ceiling in a glowing canopy. Seamus had his staff dressed in dress robes, serving drinks and preparing food. A small stage, situated to the right of the bar, held some enchanted musical instruments that played beautiful music.

"I think it's brilliant," Harry said with a smile as Seamus came to stand next to him.

"Glad it meets your approval," Seamus said thumping Harry on the back cheerfully. "Anything for Hermione," he added, stepping toward the bar.

Ron walked over to Harry and eyed the impressive array of foods set out. "Nice," Ron said, nodding appreciatively. "I don't know about these though," he added, tugging at his tie uncomfortably.

Harry chuckled, looking down at his own black suit. "It's just for the party," he said with a shrug. "I wanted Hermione to feel like a Queen, so we'll just have to suffer a bit longer."

"Right," Ron muttered. His expression brightened when he heard snorts of laughter coming from the bar. George, Neville and Dean were seated on barstools, holding tumblers of firewhiskey. Seamus was now behind the bar, chatting animatedly while surreptitiously observing his staff. Giving Harry another friendly thump on the back, Ron moved toward the bar to join them.

"Don't let George blow anything up," Harry called out to Ron, shaking his head at Ron's dismissive wave.

Harry walked toward the entrance in time to see the women being ushered in by a wizard that Seamus had assigned to ensuring that only party guests were allowed inside. Ginny, Luna, Hermione, Parvati and Padma were all dressed in beautiful evening gowns. They'd all gathered upstairs at Grimmauld Place before the party and had helped one another get ready. The result was stunning. Most impressive was Hermione's appearance. The other ladies had taken extra time to pamper her and get her ready. Her hair was pinned away from her face and cascaded down her back in flawless chestnut curls. Her make-up had been carefully applied, enhancing her features. Her dress was a rich burgandy color with a bodice the hugged her petite frame. The long skirt was made up of several layers of chiffon that seemed to float around her as she moved.

"You ladies look stunning," Harry said, smiling fondly at the women. He pressed a kiss to Ginny's lips, firmly resisting the urge to run his hands over the silky sage green fabric clinging to her curves. She seemed to sense his thoughts because she winked at him with a saucy smile.

"It's not often that we get to dress like this," Parvati commented spinning around once to make her pale pink skirts flare out around her legs.

At that moment, Draco Malfoy stepped through the entrance and glanced around at his surroundings. He was impeccably dressed, as usual, in an expensive black suit. He was holding a bundle of blankets that wriggled in his grasp. He chuckled and pulled the blanket away to reveal pale blonde hair. "There you are," Draco said softly, smiling at his infant son.

"You made it," Harry said cheerfully.

"Obviously," Draco replied with a smirk. His eyes shifted to Hermione. "Happy Birthday Granger. I would have put Scorpius in a suit as well but... that's never gone well," he admitted.

Hermione giggled and walked over to get a better look at Scorpius. "That's alright," she said, brushing her finger over the baby's round cheek. Scorpius looked at Hermione and smiled widely. His gray eyes were just like his fathers. "You're adorable," Hermione said, grinning when Scorpius leaned toward her, reaching with his little arms.

Harry and Ginny exchanged a grin as Draco passed his son to Hermione. The baby stared at Hermione solemnly for a moment before flashing another wide toothless smile at her. "What a little angel," Hermione murmured as Scorpius patted her face with his chubby hand.

Draco reached out to shift his son's hand away from Hermione's face. "Be gentle Scorpius," he said softly, smiling when the baby babbled happily at him.

Unable to resist, Ginny hurried forward and held her hands out hopefully. Hermione rolled her eyes but passed Scorpius to the red head. "Oh you're just precious!" Ginny gushed. She nuzzled the baby's cheek pressing noisy kisses to his soft skin. His laughter made her squeal with delight. "He's gorgeous," she said sincerely. "Come look Harry."

"No, you can't have one right now," Harry said with a lazy smile as he strolled forward and offered Draco his hand. "Glad you could make it Malfoy."

"Thank you," Draco said, shaking Harry's hand hesitantly. He froze when he looked up to see the other men swivel around on the bar stools to look at him. He released Harry's hand and clasped his hands behind his back, resisting the urge to take a step back. It was tempting to snatch his son away from Ginny, knowing that these men wouldn't hex him while he held a baby.

"So, you decided to come?" Ron asked stiffly, a muscle in his jaw twitching as he clenched his teeth.

Harry intervened before Draco could make a snide comment. "We're happy to have him," Harry said firmly, glaring pointedly at Ron. "He works with Hermione, and they get on well. You can be civil for her sake," he added pointedly.

Ron was silent for a moment, eyeing Draco suspiciously. He winced when Neville elbowed him in the ribs with a glare. Ron scowled at Neville but then said "Fine. We'll play nice."

"Thank Merlin," George said, rolling his eyes. "Back to the party then? Here you are Malfoy," he said, approaching Draco and handing him a tumbler of firewhiskey.

Draco looked down at the firewhiskey and then at Harry. Harry grinned and shook his head. "Don't worry, nobody is getting pissed tonight," Harry assured Draco. "I'm sticking with butterbeer so I can remind everyone of their limit. Can't have people getting drunk around a baby," he added, chuckling when Scorpius let out a loud squeal.

Draco frowned slightly. "I can take him back to my mother," he said. "No sense in spoiling Granger's party. I just brought him since you two said you wanted to meet him," he added, looking between Harry and Hermione uncomfortably.

"No," Ginny said hastily, sidestepping away from Draco with a frown. "I'm not done playing with him, so you can't have him yet." She walked away carrying Scorpius, tickling him gently and giggling at his delighted shrieks of laughter.

Harry snorted and shook his head. "Well, there's your answer," he told Draco. "It's no problem at all. This was going to be a tame party anyway. We'll warn you before we have you come to an 'adults only' party."

More guests arrived over the next few minutes and, true to his word, Harry had forewarned his friends that Draco Malfoy would be present. Most of them even made an effort to greet him politely. Scorpius was quite popular among the party guests. He was cuddled, kissed and tickled by nearly everyone.

After finishing his firewhiskey, Draco felt more prepared to be social. He eyed the group thoughtfully before approaching Hermione and Ginny. He relaxed a bit when they smiled at him. He'd been observing everyone and noticed that Harry, Ron and Ginny were strangely attentive to Hermione. Rather than enjoying the attention, Hermione waved them off impatiently despite their anxious expressions. Draco had thought that Harry simply had a tendency to hover and worry excessively about his friends. But, seeing similar behavior from the two red-heads made him reconsider his initial assumption. However, their behavior didn't effect him and he wasn't about to start asking questions like a nosy Gryffindor. He had enough problems of his own.

"You look good," he told Hermione, his lips quirking into a slight smirk.

"Thank you," Hermione replied, feeling her cheeks warm. "The girls put a lot of work into my appearance for the party."

"I see you nearly everyday Granger," Draco reminded her. "They can't have done much."

Ginny grinned widely and nudged Hermione playfully. "He's saying that you're pretty," Ginny whispered rather loudly.

"I'd figured that out, thanks," Hermione muttered, wishing she could stop blushing.

Draco chuckled and then looked at Ginny. "You're looking quite lovely as well," he said politely.

"I know," Ginny replied with grin. She eyed Draco and nodded appreciatively. "You look positively edible," she commented.

Hermione had chosen that moment to take a sip from her champagne glass and very nearly spat it back out. She swallowed hastily, then turned to cough and clear her throat. Ginny and Draco were sputtering with laughter. "Ginevra Weasley, what a thing to say," Hermione scolded.

Harry approached them with a mildly puzzled smile. "Is Ginny misbehaving again?" he asked, winking at the red head.

"She's a shameless hussy," Hermione declared, giggling at Ginny's indignant huff.

"Aren't you a lucky bastard?" Draco said, smirking at Harry.

"I suppose the depends on how you look at it," Harry responded, rolling his eyes. Ginny pinched his bum in response.

George approached carrying Scorpius who was sucking his thumb on one hand and clutching at George's red hair with the other. George passed the baby to Harry with a smile before he grinned at Hermione. "Time for a dance Hermione," he said, taking her glass of champagne from her and handing it to Ginny. He lead Hermione toward the open space in front of the stage before pulling her close for a slow dance.

The others took turns playing with Scorpius so they could pair up and dance. Ginny grabbed Draco for a dance, making Harry laugh at Draco's surprised expression. As the night got later, Draco had eventually danced with all of the women except for Hermione. George had attempted to request Draco's hand for a dance as well, but the red-head only received Draco's horrified expression in response. George had laughed before scooping Scorpius up and twirling him around while the infant laughed.

When Dean finally relinquished his hold on Hermione, Draco approached them. Dean offered Draco a friendly nod and Hermione turned and smiled. Draco held out his hand wordlessly, keeping a smirk on his face despite the sudden anxious feeling in his stomach.

Ron and Harry stood side by side, watching as Hermione placed her hand in Draco's. "He's been alright tonight," Ron commented quietly.

Harry nodded. "He's watched Hermione all night," he whispered. He chuckled softly at Ron's sudden wide-eyed expression of alarm. "Relax Ron. They're both single and she looks amazing. I've talked to Malfoy a few times in the past week. He's still a bit of a git sometimes, but he's decent enough. He just feels comfortable with her. Poor bloke must be horribly lonely after losing his wife." He felt strange expressing sympathy for Malfoy, and he assumed Ron felt the same when he saw his friend wince at the mention of Malfoy's loss.

"Alright," Ron said reluctantly. "You've made your point. The war's over, people change and that poor sod has a broken heart." He sighed and shook his head. "I'll try Harry. Can't promise that I'll be best mates with him, but I'll be as civil as humanly possible," he said.

"You've got a big heart," Harry said with a smile.

Draco felt reluctant to release Hermione at the end of the song, but he did it anyway. Dancing with her had been oddly comforting. She smiled at him, her cheeks tinged a lovely pink.

"Thank you," Hermione murmured.

"It was my pleasure," Draco responded politely. "I should probably get Scorpius to bed now."

Hermione nodded in understanding. She walked across the room to pick up Scorpius where Seamus and George were making faces to make the baby laugh. She gently kissed the baby's soft cheek as she walked him back to his father. "He's wonderful," Hermione said fondly, passing the child back to Draco.

"It was lovely seeing you again Malfoy," Ginny said sincerely. "I'm not around much since I'm touring with the Holyhead Harpies, but I hope I get to see you next time I'm around."

"Thank you," Draco responded with a nod. He carefully wrapped his son in a blanket to protect him from the wind and moved to the door. Before he could walk out, Harry approached him again.

"Come round for dinner after work one day," Harry invited.

Draco's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Why?" he asked cautiously.

"Just a friendly invitation, I promise," Harry chuckled. "No expectations." He was pleased when Draco nodded before walking out so he could apparate home.


	2. Avoidance

Hermione sighed quietly as she made a quick note on the file in her hand. Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, she looked at the young witch on the bed in front of her. "We'll keep you here for a few hours to ensure that you have no remaining damage," Hermione said crisply. "However, I feel reasonably confident that I've completely reversed the mutation and you'll have no further problems."

"Thank you Healer Granger," the teenager muttered morosely.

The women sitting in the chair by the bed looked frazzled and she gave Hermione an embarrassed but apologetic look before glaring at her daughter. Hermione nodded to the mother and daughter before leaving the room and closing the door behind her firmly. "Blithering idiot," she muttered under her breath.

"Sounds like you had a good one," said an amused male voice, making Hermione jump in surprise. She turned to see Draco's amused smirk. He was holding a white paper file under one arm. "What did the blithering idiot do?"

Hermione blushed slightly at the fact that her less than charitable comment had been overheard. "It was a teenager that wanted to become an animagus," Hermione replied. "She thought she'd achieve that the 'easy way' and use a potion."

"Idiot," Draco muttered with a nod of agreement. "What did she try to become?"

Hermione gave an involuntary shudder. "A mermaid," she whispered, indicating that Draco should follow her away from the door.

"Bloody hell," Draco grumbled. "That's not an animal."

"Obviously," she replied, passing him the file in her hands. "She and her friends tried to modify the polyjuice potion. How she managed to get a mermaid's hair is beyond me."

Draco winced as he looked at the file. "So how far did the mutation go?" he asked.

"Enough to nearly kill her," Hermione said with a frown. "Her hands and feet were webbed and she had gills. Her friends were at least clever enough to get her into some water. She was transported here in a bathtub."

Draco snorted. "How the hell did I miss a spectacle like that?"

"You were with that naughty witch from this morning," Hermione answered with a smirk.

It was Draco's turn to shudder then. A pretty witch had entered St. Mungos that morning with a rather embarrassing problem. After checking in, the woman was quickly ushered to a room and a smirking medi-witch had handed the case off to Draco. He'd walked into the room to find the witch was sweating a bit and seemed unable to remain still on the exam table. The woman had allowed her boyfriend to insert a small vibrator into her body before proceeding to have sex with her. He'd stopped rather quickly as the vibrations were overstimulating, but had pushed the vibrator much farther inside. Attempts to retrieve it on their own hadn't gone well.

"Did you hear that she made a pass at me?" Draco asked with wide eyes.

"Nice job," Hermione said with a smirk. "Well, she was very pretty. And at least you know that she's a bit adventurous in the bedroom."

Draco sneered. "Not bloody likely. She was having sex with another wizard shortly before she came in," he said incredulously.

Hermione stepped into the office and sat down, not bothering to suppress her giggles. "Not all men are that fussy about it," she said with a grin.

"Well I... no," Draco said, dropping the files onto the desk. "Not interested. Everything about that was uncomfortable. I got the bloody vibrator out, but I made the process as clinical and bloody awkward as possible. I have no intention of dating one of our lunatic patients, much less shagging them."

"Good to know," said a voice from the doorway. The two healers turned to see Harry leaning against the door frame.

"Seriously, do you not have a job?" Draco asked, folding his arms imperiously.

Harry rolled his eyes, but his smile remained firmly in place. "Very funny," he said lightly. "Finished a bit early today. Thought I'd bring Hermione a coffee." He lifted a styrofoam cup with a lid from a local muggle coffee shop and moved into the office to set it on Hermione's desk, noticing relief flash across her face momentarily. "Would you like some coffee?" he asked Draco politely.

"Thank you, but no," Draco replied dismissively, peering at Harry curiously.

"Thought I'd invite you to dinner," Harry said cheerfully.

Draco cocked one eye brow, glancing at Hermione and then back at Harry. "You're not my type Potter," he drawled.

Harry rolled his eyes again. "Don't be a prat. I'm inviting you to join us at the house for dinner," Harry explained.

Draco smiled slightly. "That would actually be nice," he admitted. "Pansy has been insisting on going out for a drink, and I was looking for a reason to put her off tonight."

Harry snorted. "Oh, she'll love that," he commented with a smirk. "I thought you two were friends."

Draco crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "She's a bit much," he said, cringing. "She's changed a bit since the war, but..." He shuddered slightly, making Harry and Hermione exchange a curious look. "I'll be there," Draco assured Harry.

"Great!" Harry exclaimed, his happy smile back in place. "I've got to go and get started on dinner, but I'll see you both later." He hurried back out with a hasty wave over his shoulder.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry peered into the oven to check on the chicken before turning to watch Hermione with concern. He had asked her to prepare the salad, but was now regretting that decision. Her wand movements seemed a bit clumsy as she used a spell to set one of the knives to cutting some carrots. She managed to complete the spell, but she fumbled her wand and dropped it on the counter. The knife clattered onto the counter noisily, knocking carrots and lettuce to the floor. Hermione sighed in aggravation, but Harry noticed that she didn't pick her wand back up right away.

"Not the way I'd eat a salad," Draco commented from the doorway, surprising them. Harry had been so absorbed with cooking and keeping an eye on Hermione that he hadn't heard anyone come in.

Harry glanced at Hermione and saw that she had picked up her wand and was holding it loosely in one hand. Her face was tense and for a moment, Harry thought she might cry. "Hermione's a little clumsy when she's tired," Harry said lightly, forcing a smile onto his face. "Would you mind prepping the salad?" he asked Draco, quickly preparing a cup of coffee for Hermione.

"Not at all," Draco said, casting a curious look at Hermione. He noted that her cheeks were slightly pink, but chose not to comment. "So, I thought I could put Pansy off," he said hesitantly. "But she wasn't pleased and followed me here."

Pansy Parkinson stepped into the kitchen at that moment, carrying Scorpius. Her black hair was sleek and long. Her features were a bit sharper than they had been in school. Her eyes swept over the kitchen impassively and then she sighed with a dramatic roll of her eyes. "I can't believe you tried to ditch me to hang out with Gryffindors," she commented. She frowned as Scorpius squirmed in her grasp.

Draco glanced up from the perfectly cut carrots and smiled as his son leaned toward Hermione excitedly. "He remembers you," he told Hermione. He watched for a moment as Hermione took Scorpius into her arms and then turned his attention to the tomatoes. "Pansy, behave yourself," he said firmly. "You weren't even invited."

Pansy pouted at him before shifting her gaze to Harry. "Potter won't turn me away," she said confidently. "He's into chivalry and all that nonsense." When Harry looked at her incredulously, she batted her eyelashes at him.

Harry shook his head and laughed, wondering what he'd gotten himself into. "Be nice and I won't toss you out on your arse," Harry said in warning, but he smiled slightly. Pansy smirked, giving him a sassy wink. Harry sighed and then looked over at Hermione with a slight frown. "It's hot in here," he said gently, resting one hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Why don't you go sit down with Scorpius and cool off? We'll be done in a moment." He watched her nod hesitantly and wrap her arms more firmly around the baby before she walked out of the room. Harry's stomach clenched unpleasantly with concern. He glanced at Draco and saw that the blond was staring at him with narrowed eyes.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked sharply, though he kept his voice low.

"Nothing," Harry said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "She's just been really tired. She works too hard and..." He sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I'm probably just being over-protective." He glanced at Pansy and hitched on a smile. "We've got wine, butterbeer, firewhiskey... Help yourself to whatever you'd like." He turned away again to finish their dinner.

Harry declared their dinner to be ready a few moments later and began levitating dishes into the dining room while Draco wandered over to peruse the wine selection. "What would Hermione like?" Draco asked.

"Good luck with that," Harry said with a snort, reaching into a cabinet for the firewhiskey. "She doesn't drink often, so none of us can figure out what she likes. So bloody picky. Butterbeer is a pretty safe choice."

Draco glanced at Harry, his lips pursed. He turned back to the wine bottles thoughtfully, peering at the labels. Pansy watched him for a moment before rolling her eyes and walking into the dining room. After a moment, Draco selected a bottle of Moscato. He poured the wine into two wine glasses, and then carefully levitated the glasses into the dining room while he followed carrying the bottle.

Harry took Scorpius from Hermione and set the baby in a high chair that had been used when Teddy was a baby. Harry slid the tray into place in front of Scorpius and grinned when the child squealed, banged his tiny hands on the tray and started babbling. The only word Harry understood was "eat".

Grumbling could be heard from the other room just before Ron stomped into the dining room, tugging his auror robes down his arms. He froze when he saw Pansy sitting at the dining room table and Draco pulling out Hermione's chair for her. Once Hermione sat down, Draco sat beside her, keeping his gaze on Ron.

Ron stared at Pansy for a moment and then turned to look at Harry. "Harry," Ron said in a voice that was suspiciously calm, "why do you have a pug sitting at the table?"

Harry shot Ron a glare, but Pansy spoke up before Harry could. "Potter, I had no idea that you had a weasel for a familiar," Pansy said sweetly. "A bit of a step down from that gorgeous snowy owl you had in school, Love," she added, patting Harry's hand sympathetically.

Ron's face was creased with a scowl and he opened his mouth to snarl at Pansy. "That's enough," Harry said sternly, glaring at Ron. "We're having dinner and I'm not interested in listening to a fight."

"Indeed," Draco said, glaring at Pansy. "Enough."

Pansy sighed and turned to Ron with an impressively polite smile. "How lovely to see you Weasley," she said. "Would you sit next to me?" Ron looked at Pansy for a moment, his lips twitching. Finally, he chuckled and sat down. "No hard feelings?" she asked, batting her eyelashes. "I'll be good."

"I doubt that," Ron said, smirking. He laughed when Pansy just winked at him.

Draco shook his head, handing Hermione one of the wine glasses. He chuckled at the suspicious glance she gave the wine. "Just try it," he chided her. "I have excellent taste."

"That's debatable," Pansy muttered into her tumbler of firewhiskey, smirking at Ron's snort of laughter.

Hermione took a cautious sip from her glass, aware that Draco was watching her expectantly. "Ah," Draco said, sounding smug when she smiled and took another sip. "I thought so."

"It's lovely," Hermione said, setting the glass down. "What is it?"

"Potter was hiding a decent Moscato over there," Draco replied, tasting the wine himself. He shrugged, setting the glass down. "Not my favorite, but I had a feeling you'd like it." He smiled at her, pleased when he noted a faint blush staining her cheeks.

Ron looked at Hermione's blushing face and rolled his eyes. "Malfoy, enough flirting with Hermione," he deadpanned. He smirked when Hermione's breath hitched and she dropped her eyes to her lap. "Lets start eating," Ron said, serving himself some of Harry's oven roasted chicken.

Hermione shot a glare at Ron but quickly served herself some salad and passed the bowl to Draco. "I can do both," Draco commented softly, his tone playful. The others had obviously heard this statement, because Pansy snorted with laughter and Ron made a strange choking sound. Harry had jerked his head around to look at Draco so fast that his neck popped. Hermione froze momentarily, her eyes wide with surprise. Then she huffed impatiently and resumed filling her plate. Unperturbed, Draco just grinned and began to serve himself as well.

For a few moments, everyone at the table remained silent as the dug in to their dinner. Even Scorpius was quietly Pansy put an end to the slightly tense silence when she made a little hum of approval around the bite of chicken in her mouth. She swallowed and looked over at Harry. "Very impressive," she said with a nod. "I think you may be part house-elf."

Draco frowned at Pansy. "Could you not?" he asked her impatiently. Glancing at Harry he said "Apologies Potter. That was actually a tacky sort of compliment."

"Then I'll take it as a compliment," Harry said with a shrug. To his surprise, Pansy beamed at him.

"There you go," she said approvingly. "We'll get along just fine, won't we Weasley?" she asked, turning to Ron expectantly.

Ron froze with his fork halfway to his mouth. He lowered the fork slightly and eyed Pansy curiously. "Sure," he said finally.

Pansy took a sip of her firewhiskey and then set it down carefully. "These two are working together," she said gesturing to Draco and Hermione. "You've all made an effort to be friendly with Draco despite the past. Since I'm also his friend, I think it would benefit all of us if I was also on less hostile terms with all of you."

Ron nodded, watching Pansy closely. "We don't put up with anyone mistreating Hermione," he told her sternly.

"Of course," Pansy responded, rolling her eyes. "I'm not an idiot. I can be civil to Granger." She offered a polite nod to Hemione, as if to illustrate her point.

A whimper from Scorpius drew the attention of the adults. "He probably needs to be changed," Draco said, setting his fork down. He moved to stand, but Hermione stopped him.

"I'll take care of it," she said lightly.

Draco snorted. "It's not exactly a glamorous task Granger," he drawled.

"All the same," Hermione replied. "I don't mind." She rose from her seat and walked around the table to lift Scorpius from his seat where he was beginning to cry in earnest. She spoke softly to him as she carried him from the room.

"Ha, I knew it," Pansy hissed once Hermione was gone.

Harry frowned at Pansy in confusion, and saw that she was staring accusingly at Draco. Draco had jerked his gaze to Pansy with narrowed eyes. "What are you on about?" Harry asked.

Pansy smirked, her eyes darting to Harry briefly before settling on Draco again. "Draco Malfoy seems to be rather fond of Granger's backside," Pansy said with a wicked grin.

Ron promptly spat out his drink, spraying the table. Draco backed away from the table slightly, scowling at Ron. "What is with you Gryffindors spewing fluids all over everything?" he snapped.

Harry barely contained his laughter enough to wave his wand and vanish the liquid from the table. Pansy was struggling with her laughter as well. "You won't distract me that easily," she assured Draco, giggling. "Your eyes were fixed firmly on her bum." She smirked in triumph at the faint blush that stained Draco's cheeks.

"Are you serious?" Ron demanded, staring at Draco.

"Relax," Harry, said calmly. "It's a stupid thing to get worked up about." He was relieved when Ron nodded shortly and sighed. Harry eyed Draco with a grin. "I have to admit that I find that rather interesting," he commented.

Pansy glanced at the doorway quickly before she leaned forward eagerly. "He wouldn't admit it, but I knew he was attracted to her when we were in school," she told Harry in an excited whisper.

Draco groaned. "You're such a bitch," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

"So, it's true?" Harry asked.

Draco rolled his eyes in aggravation. "Don't be dramatic about it," he snapped. "Everyone found Granger attractive in fourth year at the yule ball."

"Ah the yule ball," Pansy sighed with a grin. "When Granger set down her book and everyone noticed that she has breasts." She winked at Draco playfully, enjoying his grimace of discomfort. Ron and Harry looked as if they couldn't decide whether to laugh or be incredibly embarrassed. After a moment, they settled on both.

"Don't make this awkward," Draco muttered, his shoulders sagging a bit in resignation. He sighed heavily when Harry and Ron continued to choke on their laughter.

"What's going on in here?" Hermione asked carrying a squirming Scorpius.

Harry shot a smirk at Draco and then looked back at Hermione. "We've decided that we quite like Parkinson," he said simply. He grinned when he saw Pansy's smug expression.

Hermione's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"It's true," Ron agreed. "We've been having a laugh at Malfoy's expense." He smirked when Draco glared at him.

Hermione shook her head and set Scorpius back in his seat. He cooed at her happily and she kissed his soft cheek affectionately. "They'll all need to be punished if they don't behave," she told Scorpius cheerfully. "Would you like that?" Scorpius laughed in response, slapping his tray with both of his tiny hands.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry eased Hermione's bedroom door open, knocking against the wood gently to alert her to his presence. He'd used a charm set to let him know when she woke up so he could have breakfast ready for her. He smiled as she stretched languidly before meeting his gaze with a sleepy smile. "Good morning," he said, leaning one hip against the door frame. "I've got breakfast made and the coffee is ready."

"You didn't have to do that Harry," she said. "But thank you."

"I'm glad to do it," Harry replied. "What are your plans for the day?"

Hermione sat up in bed and turned to let her legs hang over the side of the bed, frowning slightly. She looked at Harry and smiled. "Pansy would like for me to go to lunch with her," she said. "She says we should get to know each other better. After that I may visit with Molly for a little while."

Harry nodded and smiled, but he gasped when Hermione stood up and her legs instantly buckled under her. She caught herself on the bed and Harry darted forward to help her to sit back down. "Are you alright?" he asked frantically. "Are you hurt?"

Hermione's eyes were wide and anxious, but she shook her head hastily. "I'm alright Harry," she said tightly. "I probably got too warm under my blankets and then I just stood up too quickly." She sighed at Harry's fearful expression. "A brief dizzy spell is nothing to get your wand in a knot over. I'm fine. Why don't you make a cup of coffee while I get dressed?"

Harry nodded reluctantly and walked out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him. Before it could shut completely, he peered back at Hermione through the opening. He watched as she reached into a drawer next to her bed and pulled out a vial of pale yellow potion with trembling hands and quickly drank it's contents, grimacing at the taste. Harry turned away and walked down the hallway toward the kitchen, trying to calm the panicked thoughts that were tumbling around in his head.

Hermione acted as if nothing strange had happened as she joined Harry and Ron for breakfast. Ron noticed Harry's poorly concealed anxiety immediately, but remained silent when he realized the Hermione was brushing off whatever had rattled Harry so badly. Once Hermione had left to run errands before her lunch with Pansy, Ron had turned to Harry expectantly.

"You like you've seen Professor Trelawney naked," Ron said, hoping to draw a laugh from a shockingly pale Harry.

"I think it's getting worse," Harry muttered, slouching in his chair. He clenched his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. "She nearly collapsed getting out of bed. I think she's getting weaker."

Ron frowned, dread settling in his stomach. "What was her excuse this time?" he asked.

"It was hot," Harry replied rolling his eyes. "She got up too quickly and had a dizzy spell. But, she didn't look dizzy." Ron nodded, looking as nauseous as Harry felt.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At work the following Monday morning, Draco was strangely quiet. He'd collected some blood samples and was testing them with a few diagnostic spells. By the time the afternoon arrived, he seemed to have relaxed a bit and was behaving more like himself. Hermione was relieved to hear his sarcastic comments after such a tense morning.

Working with Draco Malfoy was nothing like Hermione had expected it to be. He was still rather arrogant and sarcastic, but he was no longer malicious. In fact, most of his interactions with Hermione could be described as flirtatious. It made their time together enjoyable rather than frustrating. It certainly helped that he was very attractive, though Hermione was determined to think of his treatment of her as merely friendly. Surely it was better that way. However, Draco chose that afternoon to dispel of her of that notion.

"Pansy has grown quite fond of you," Draco commented. He looked up from the parchment he'd been making notes on and looked at Hermione. "She hasn't shut up about it."

Hermione grinned. "I'm glad we spent some time together," she said. She glanced at Draco with a smirk. "She's got some hilarious stories about you."

Draco rolled his eyes but smiled, setting his quill down and walking over to where Hermione sat. She was scanning the pages of a heavy tome, seeking information for a patient under her care. She looked up at Draco, her smile faltering momentarily when she noted how close he was standing. "Wouldn't it be better to hear those stories from the source?" he asked softly. He reached out and tucked one of her stray curls behind her ear. He was delighted to hear her breathing hitch at the gesture.

"Well, I..." Hermione's face flushed in embarrassment as she struggled to think up a coherent response.

"Let me take you to dinner," Draco said smoothly, his gray eyes focused intently on her face.

Hermione blushed and stammered, completely stunned.

She was saved from responding right away when the office door was thrown open by one of he Medi-witches. She took in Hermione's pink face and Draco's close proximity and barely managed to suppress a knowing smirk. "Healer Malfoy, that woman from last week is back," she said hastily. A sly grin crept onto her face as she added "Apparently, her boyfriend was experimenting with toys again." She winked at Hermione and then darted back into the hallway.

Draco groaned and swore under his breath. He looked down at Hermione and brushed his fingertips across her knuckles. "I'll be back," he murmured, enjoying the way she nibbled her lower lip nervously. He left the office feeling rather pleased with himself.

Hermione sat very still for a moment, her lips quirking into a smile. But, then she bit her lip again and stood up, keeping one hand on the back of her chair to steady herself. She needed to stay busy.

By the end of the week, Draco was thoroughly irritated. Hermione had found reasons to avoid addressing the request he'd made for her to have dinner with him. He simply couldn't understand it. He could see that she seemed to enjoy the time they spent working together. He flirted shamelessly, and she seemed to like his attention. He'd even progressed to finding excuses to touch her. She blushed prettily every time, and Draco loved having such an effect on her.

But still she wouldn't accept a date with him. She was always "too busy" or "too tired". Draco wasn't heartbroken over it. The death of his wife was still painful, and he suspected it always would be to some degree. But he wanted to move on, for his son's benefit as much as his own. Hermione was the first woman to spark his interest, and he was keen to explore that. No, Draco was feeling disgruntled over the concept of having been rejected. Or rather, that Hermione had pointedly avoided accepting a date with him.

On Friday evening, he found himself back at Seamus' pub, very near sulking. Pansy sat to his right, flirting with the bartender. On his left, Harry and Ron had just walked up to the bar and ordered drinks

"Seamus did a great job with this place," Harry commented loudly in order to be heard over the music.

"I still can't believe you never bothered to come in here before Hermione's birthday," Ron practically shouted. "You bloody own the place." He chuckled when Malfoy nearly spat out his firewhiskey.

"You own it?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Sort of," Harry said with a shrug. "Seamus wanted to open a pub and partnered up with George who has got a head for business. When they approached me, I put up the galleons to get things going. So, I technically own a third of the company."

"Which is why it's called 'Mischief Managed'," Ron added with a grin.

The name didn't make sense to Draco, but he didn't care much at the moment. He glanced over toward the stage situated on the far right side of the pub where witches and wizards were singing karaoke. He winced at the off-key wailing of one witch that was too inebriated to notice that her companions were laughing hysterically as she stumbled around the stage.

"Stop pouting," Pansy snapped impatiently, drawing Draco's attention. Harry and Ron looked over curiously as well.

"I don't pout," Draco retorted.

"Why are you pouting?" Ron asked curiously.

"I'm not," Draco snarled.

"He is," Pansy told them, ignoring Draco's glare. "He's a little put out because Granger's turned him down for a date." She sighed when Draco growled at her. "Fine," she said, holding both hands up as if in surrender. "She didn't reject you. But only because she's avoided answering you at all," she amended, rolling her eyes.

"Still?" Harry asked, frowning. "I thought she would have given in by now."

Ron stared at Harry in amazement. "You knew?" he asked Harry. "And you're encouraging it?"

Harry made a noise of impatience, rolling his eyes. "He wants to take her on a date," Harry said flatly. "If he's nice to her, I have no issue with it." He looked over at Draco's sour expression. "I still think she's interested," Harry said.

Draco scowled at Harry. "Well, it hardly matters if she's going to ignore the question all together," he drawled irritably. He lifted his tumbler to his lips, just to lower it immediately. "I'm not accustomed to rejection," he said stiffly, sitting up straighter on his bar stool.

Pansy shook her head. "Spare me," she groaned. She glanced at the stage and then turned to the blond with a hopeful expression. "There's a lovely distraction for you," she said, gesturing to the stage pointedly.

Draco peered around Pansy at the stage and shook his head with an amused snort. "I don't enjoy listening to people sing badly," he retorted.

Pansy glared. "That's not what I meant," she replied. She leaned around Draco to fix her eyes on Harry and Ron. "Did you know that this sod is very talented?" she asked, wrinkling her nose as if the compliment was distasteful to her. "He was in a band," she said in a loud whisper.

"You were too you silly bint," Draco snapped, exasperated.

Pansy pulled a face of mock astonishment, fluttering her eyelashes. "That's right," she agreed with wide eyes. "I'd forgotten how talented I am."

"Indeed," Draco deadpanned, turning away from her and swallowing a mouthful of firewhiskey.

Harry leaned toward Draco slightly, eyeing Draco and Pansy with interest. "I didn't know you were in a band," he said. "Are you any good?"

"We're unbelievable," Pansy cut in, pushing Draco aside. Draco scowled irritably while Harry and Ron laughed. "Draco has a gorgeous voice and plays the guitar," Pansy told.

"Guitar?" Ron asked, his eyebrows rising in surprise. "How very... muggle of you."

"It was his way of rebelling," Pansy said, winking at Draco. "His father wanted him to play something respectable like the piano or violin. Lucius thought that guitars are for hooligans."

"And it's not a muggle guitar," Draco argued defensively. "Wizards can play the guitar."

Ron chuckled. "I'm only joking," he assured Draco. "I think it's great. Do you play as well?" he asked Pansy.

Harry smiled to himself, pleased that Ron had made such an effort to be friendly. This more mature, forgiving Ron Weasley had set aside his memories of childhood rivalry and the horrors of war. Fred's death, in addition to many friends, would always haunt him. Pansy and Draco had both been on the side of the war that had caused Fred's death; But there Ron sat, treating them like friends. This was the sort of peace that Harry had always wanted.

Harry was jarred from his thoughts when Ron nudged him hard in the rib cage. Harry blinked and looked around to see his three companions watching him with curious expressions. "Did you hear anything we said?" Pansy asked.

"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly. "I was just thinking that it's great that we could all be friends."

Pansy eyed Harry for a moment. "He's so sentimental," she commented to Draco, as if Harry couldn't hear her. "Do you find that annoying?"

Draco glanced at Harry and then back at Pansy. "Hadn't thought about it," Draco shrugged. His lips twitched in amusement when Harry started grumbling irritably while Ron snorted into his drink.

Pansy grinned and winked at Harry. Harry scowled, but his expression softened when he realized that Draco seemed to no longer be brooding.


	3. The Search Begins

Harry sat down and wrapped his arm around Ginny with a contented sigh. "I'm so glad you're home," he murmured in her ear, his free hand reaching over to tug at her legs and drape them over his lap.

"Me too," Ginny responded, kissing his cheek. "Dinner was wonderful."

"It really was," Pansy agreed looking over at the couple. "I don't see why you had us come over on your first night together though. We could have stolen Hermione and Ron away so you could have some time alone."

Ginny grinned. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "We've got a date tomorrow. I was excited to see all of you too. Scorpius is just too cute to pass up on the opportunity," she added.

Scorpius smiled widely when he heard his name. Draco was sitting in a chair with Scorpius standing in front of him. Scorpius had a firm grip on his father's fingers while leaning his body toward Hermione, who was sitting on the floor across from them. Draco shook his hands lightly and smiled when Scorpius still held on firmly.

Hermione held her arms out to Scorpius. "You can do it," she coaxed. She smiled when Scorpius released his father's hands and took a step forward. Scorpius made an excited little noise before abruptly sitting down hard. He then lurched forward and crawled to Hermione. "You cheated!" Hermione exclaimed, laughing. She kissed his round cheek before turning him around and setting him back on his feet. She held him by his torso and then looked up at Draco.

Draco leaned forward and held his hands out for his son. "Come on Scorpius," he said gently. "Come to Daddy."

Hermione steadied the baby's first step and then slowly eased her hands away from him. She held her breath as Scorpius took six wobbly steps toward his father before losing his balance. Draco scooped him up before he could fall. "Dada!" Scorpius squealed. Harry, Ron and Ginny applauded Scorpius enthusiastically while Pansy and Hermione cheered. Scorpius started laughing and clapping his hands too.

"Well, I think that should be followed up by dessert," Harry said, shifting Ginny's legs off of his lap.

"I've got it," Hermione said, waving for Harry to stay seated. She stood up and moved toward the kitchen.

"Need any help?" Ron offered.

"Nope," Hermione called over her shoulder. "I'll only be a moment."

The others chatted for a few minutes while Hermione worked in the kitchen. When she returned, she was levitating plates of treacle tart. Once she served everyone she disappeared into the kitchen again. She stored the left overs and tidied up the kitchen, humming to herself as she worked.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Pansy asked, coming into the kitchen to refill her wine glass.

"I''m sure," Hermione replied with a smile. "I'm nearly done. But, thank you."

Pansy opened her mouth to say something, but instead she gasped. She reached out and grabbed hold of Hermione left wrist, her eyes wide. "What on earth did you do?" Pansy cried.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, but her mouth fell open in surprise when she realized that there was blood on her hand.

Harry, Ron and Draco hurried into the kitchen. "What's wrong?" Harry asked hastily. He frowned when he saw the blood. "What happened?" he asked.

Draco pushed past the two men and took hold of Hermione's hand to get a better look. He held her hand over the sink and poured clean water over it to wash away most of the blood. Once that was done, he lifted her hand to look closely at it. On the heel of her hand was a cut that was about the width of her thumbnail. Draco gently pulled at the skin, frowning when he realized that the cut was deeper than he would have expected. He pulled out his wand and used a few charms to make sure the wound was clean before healing it up.

"How did you do that?" Draco asked, peering at her hand to make sure it had healed completely.

"I don't know," Hermione replied, sounding bewildered.

Draco met her gaze with a frown. "How can that be?" he asked her. "That's wasn't just a superficial nick of the skin. I must have hurt."

"She didn't even realize until I pointed it out," Pansy commented.

Hermione's face flushed slightly and she glanced at Harry. Harry looked horrified. Hermione had hoped that Draco wouldn't notice Harry's expression, but it wasn't to be. Draco looked between Harry and Hermione in surprise. "What am I missing?" he asked.

"Nothing," Hermione said shortly, tugging her hand away from Draco hastily. "Harry is just overprotective."

"Like hell," Ron growled while Harry glared.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Draco snapped.

Harry looked at Hermione and could see that she was on the verge of tears, her gaze begging him to leave it alone. "I'm sorry," Harry said softly. "I can't do this anymore. I'm worried sick." His own eyes were damp as he looked back at Draco. He opened his mouth and then closed it again, unsure of what to say.

Ron turned to see Ginny standing in the doorway, holding Scorpius. "Take him upstairs for a few minutes," he told her quietly. He waited until she was gone before he turned and patted Harry's back firmly, offering his support.

"Hermione is sick," Harry finally managed, sighing when Hermioen turned her back to them and her shoulders slumped in resignation. "We're not sure what's wrong, but it's getting worse."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked sharply.

Harry hesitated, glancing at Ron. "It's weird," Ron said helpfully. "Her hands go numb. So does her face. Recently, she seems to have trouble with her legs as well."

"She's exhausted no matter how much she sleeps," Harry went on. "She looses her balance, has dizzy spells..." He shook his head, drawing in a shaky breath. "I've never known Hermione to be clumsy, but I can't tell you how often I've seen her nearly drop her wand recently. It just seemed strange at first, but it's spreading and getting worse."

Draco sighed heavily and walked around to stand in front of Hermione. His stomach clenched painfully at the sight of the tears silently trickling down her face. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her softly.

She swallowed tightly, and met his gaze miserably. "I try not to think about it," she admitted quietly. "Sometimes I can ignore it. I was seeing a healer when I first noticed a problem, but we could never figure out what was wrong. I've researched but I haven't come up with anything."

"So talk to me," he insisted. "We are partners. There's a reason Abbott has us working together. You just have to talk to me."

Hermione whimpered, a sound that made Draco's heart ache. "I'm afraid," she said, barely above a whisper.

Draco pulled Hermione into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. He looked past her to see Ron and Harry standing side by side, their heads bowed as they struggled to calm their emotions. Pansy moved and pushed her way between the two men and grabbed hold of their hands. The two men glanced down at her and smiled slightly at her supportive gesture. Draco nodded his approval at her.

Draco considered everything that he had been told and suddenly some of his own observations about Hermione made a bit more sense. It also might explain why she had avoided talking to him about going on a date. Her increasing symptoms must have been frightening.

Draco backed away from Hermione slightly so he could look at her, but kept his arms around her. "I'll help you figure this all out," he told her firmly. "It sounds like nerve damage, but..." He frowned thoughtfully. "It is strange. But, that's where you an I excel. Don't cry," he added quietly, brushing her tears away.

Hermione shuddered and pulled away with a sigh. "This isn't like me," she muttered, embarrassed that she had crumbled so quickly.

"Of course not," Harry said. "But, it's alright if you can't be strong all the time. That's why you have us," he added, moving forward to hug her tightly. He smiled to himself when he felt Hermione squeeze him back.

"Pansy, why don't you and Ginny take Hermione to the other room and cheer her up," Draco suggested. "I'll take Scorpius and discuss all this with Harry and Ron." When Hermione looked ready to object to this plan, he shook his head at her. "I want you to relax," he said firmly. "I just want to document what they have observed. You can help by getting nice and calm."

Pansy quickly caught Hermione's hand and pulled her from the room. The men stood silently for a few moments, each lost in thought. Ginny stepped into the kitchen and passed Scorpius to Draco. She gave Harry's hand a squeeze before she left again.

"Come on," Harry said, stepping from the counter that he'd been leaning against. "There are some toys upstairs that belonged to Teddy. Scorpius can play while we talk."

Two hours later, the men came back downstairs with Scorpius sound asleep in Draco's arms. They walked into the lounge and found the three women on the couch. Hermione was stretched out with her head on Ginny's lap and her legs draped across Pansy's lap. Ginny and Pansy were chatting quietly while Ginny stroked Hermione's hair gently. Hermione's feet were bare and her toenails had been painted a dark shade of red. Her fingernails were painted to match.

"How is she?" Draco asked.

"Exhausted," Ginny replied. "But, she did calm down. Any ideas?" she asked Draco hopefully.

Draco sighed. "Not for a diagnosis," he responded. "But, I do have a list of tests I'd like to try to get myself started."

Ron walked past Harry and crouched in front of the couch. He managed to get one arm around Hermione's neck and shoulder and the other behind her knees so he could stand up with her. Her eyes fluttered and she shifted in Ron's arms. "I can walk," she muttered tiredly.

"Too late," Ron said cheerfully. "I'm already carrying you." He carried her up the stairs before she could protest.

Draco watched their progress of the stairs and then looked down at his son. "I should head out," he said. "I'll see you all tomorrow."

The others bid him a good night as he took the floo to his own home. Ron came back downstairs a moment later, yawning and stretching. "This has been exciting," he commented wryly.

"I should get going," Pansy said, moving toward the fireplace.

"Thank you," Ginny said. "We really appreciate you being so helpful tonight."

Pansy paused and then turned to look at the three former Gryffindors. "I was glad to do it," she admitted quietly. "Draco is one of my best friends, and it was hard to see him suffer after his wife died. You didn't see what he was like..." She trailed off and glanced down at her hands for a moment. "He was completely devastated," she added in a whisper. "He's different now that he's spending time with all of you. Your friendship has helped him more than he'll probably ever admit. You welcomed him without making it seem like pity. Neither of us will forget that," she said.

The other three were silent as she spoke, surprised by her declaration. Finally Ron smiled slightly and nudged Harry saying "And she calls you sentimental." Harry chuckled in response."

Pansy scowled suddenly. "Don't take this lightly Weasley," she snapped. "I don't trust people easily. If you can't take anything seriously..."

"I get it Pansy," Ron blurted out, cutting her off. "We may joke to lighten the mood, but we're taking you seriously. Honestly," he added.

Pansy eyed him suspiciously and then gave a prim little nod. "Fine," she said airily. "I'll probably see you all soon. Goodnight."

As Pansy disappeared in a swirl of green flames, Harry led Ginny up the stairs to bed while Ron went to his own room. They didn't have any answers yet, but they were suddenly feeling a bit more hopeful.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco returned to the house the next morning. The smell of coffee and french toast drifted in from the kitchen. Harry walked around the corner and beckoned him into the kitchen. "Hermione hasn't gotten up yet," Harry said, handing Draco a cup of coffee. "I let her sleep in for a bit when I can, and I make sure I have coffee ready for her."

Draco added some cream to his coffee before taking a cautious sip. "She's not a morning person?" he asked.

Harry chuckled. "Ron's not a morning person," he corrected. "Hermione is just having trouble finding the energy to function on some mornings. This will just give her a little boost," he added, indicating a cup that had been fully prepared with cream and sugar. "I'm nearly done making breakfast if you want to see if she's ready to come down. Up the stairs, third door on the right," he added.

Draco located Hermione's room quickly and found that the door had been left slightly ajar. He pressed his fingertips to the door and pushed it open gently. He could see Hermione in her bed, shifting restlessly. He walked over and jostled her shoulder gently. Her eyes fluttered and then suddenly widened in alarm. "It's just me," he chuckled, pleased when she relaxed again. "How are you feeling?"

"Well enough," she replied softly. She shifted onto her back, looking at him curiously. "Should I be expecting this every morning?"

"Only if you ask nicely," he responded with a wink as he sat down on the edge of her bed. "I'm going to keep a close eye on you. Avoidance and denial are obviously not working for you, so let me monitor you."

"I can do it," Hermione huffed, pushing herself into a sitting position.

"I know," Draco said calmly. "But I don't want you to. All I want is for you to keep me updated. If there's a new symptom, I want to know. I will personally oversee your care. We'll treat the symptoms while we look for answers. Alright?" he asked, his gray eyes never leaving her face.

"Fine," she muttered quietly. "I hate this."

"I would imagine so," Draco said. He peered at her for a moment and then hesitantly rested one hand on her forearm. "This doesn't mean that you're weak. I'll try to keep you as independent as possible, but you need to trust me with this." She met his gaze with tear-filled eyes and Draco couldn't resist giving her arm a comforting squeeze. "Potter is downstairs making french toast," he said, shifting to stand next to the bed. "What do you say to going down there before Weasley eats it all?"

Hermione laughed softly and shifted her legs over the side of the bed. Draco moved to stand in front of her and held his hands out to her. She placed her hands in his and allowed him to help her stand. They made their way down the stairs and into the dining room together. Draco didn't assist her any further, but he stayed close and kept an eye on her just in case.

Harry's face lit up when they entered the dining room. "Good morning," he said, gesturing for them to sit down. When Draco appeared ready to decline, Harry shook his head. "Just sit down. Don't be difficult," he said firmly.

Ginny and Ron were already seated and enjoying their french toast. "You're here early," Ginny said, sipping at her pumpkin juice.

Draco sat down next to Hermione and smiled at Ginny. "I wanted to check on my new patient," he said with a slight shrug. "You and Pansy practically rocked her to sleep last night." He smirked at Hermione's indignant huff.

"Don't listen to him," Ginny told Hermione. "You needed that. In fact, I think we need to set aside time for that at least once a month."

Ron snorted over his breakfast. "You want to arrange to have Hermione fall asleep on you and Parkinson once a month?" he asked.

Ginny scowled at him. "Don't be a git," she snapped. "I mean the pampering. We'll have spa days or something."

Ron grinned, unperturbed by Ginny's irritation. "I knew what you meant," he said, shrugging carelessly. "I think it's a good idea though."

"I agree," Draco said, taking a small cautious bite of the french toast. He offered Harry an impressed nod before he looked at Hermione. "You're not one for taking it easy and I'm afraid that I must insist that you allow yourself time to relax. You don't have to sit at home, but you need to avoid over-working yourself. Stress can have a negative effect on your health and you don't need that right now. And you know that," he added firmly, giving her a pointed look.

Hermione frowned, feeling a sudden childish urge to snap at Draco for being pushy. She was an adult and a damn good healer. She didn't need someone telling her what was good for her.

"Please just listen to him," Ginny said suddenly, fixing a pleading gaze on Hermione. "Harry and Ron have been worried sick. Last night was the first night I've seen Harry sleep well in a few months."

Harry shot Ginny a disapproving look. "Don't make her feel bad," he admonished gently.

Ginny glared at him. "She would want to know," she insisted.

"Of course," Hermione assured Ginny with wide eyes. She looked at Harry, blinking back tears. "I didn't mean to be so selfish..."

"No!" Harry objected, jumping out of his chair to rush around the table. He knelt on the floor by Hermione's chair and took hold of her hands. "You're not selfish. I've been watching you suffer over the last few months and it kills me that I can't fix it or protect you from this." His own eyes were wet as he brushed away her tears. "I know you're scared, but we want to be there for you."

Hermione pulled Harry into a tight hug hiding her face against his shoulder, After a moment, she felt a hand stroking down her back in a comforting gesture. She glanced up to see that Ron had moved to stand over her and Harry. "Thank you," she told the two men gratefully.

After a few moments, Harry released Hermione and smiled at her, pleased to see her smile return. He looked past Hermione, remembering that Draco was sitting at the table as well. Draco was slowly eating his French toast while his eyes drifted between the four former Gryffindors, his expression unreadable. His eyes followed Harry and Ron to their seats before they focused on Hermione.

Hermione took in a shuddering breath and met Draco's gaze. "I will be as cooperative as I can," she said, hating the slight tremor in her voice. "This isn't..." She looked down at her lap for a moment and then back up at him. "This is difficult," she admitted quietly.

Draco looked strangely tense for a moment as he pushed his plate away. He turned to face her fully, leaning toward her slightly. "I know it is," he responded. "But I'm determined to figure out what's going on. We'll find your diagnosis and then we'll fight it," he added. "We'll start with a full exam. I've documented all the problems you've mentioned and what they've seen," he said, nodding to the others, "but we need to check for symptoms that may not by noticeable."

"Like what?" Ron asked, right before cramming a large bite of French toast into his mouth. He smirked when Draco flinched slightly at the sight.

"I won't know until we start looking," Draco replied, jerking his gaze away from Ron.

"Anything you need," Ginny told him seriously. "Research, food, coffee or a babysitter... We'll do anything to help." Harry and Ron nodded in agreement.

"I'll keep it in mind and let you know," Draco said with a smile. "I did need to mention something actually... My mother wished for me to say hello to all of you and asks that you have dinner with us."

"That's... very kind of her," Hermione commented uncertainly.

"Pansy has her convinced that my 'new Gryffindor friends' have been really good for me," Draco explained with a chuckle. "I've not been particularly social since..." He faltered, not wanting to finish his statement. He was both relieved and a little embarrassed that the others seemed to understand instantly.

"Where?" Harry asked simply. When Draco shot him a puzzled look, Harry rolled his eyes playfully. "Where are we having dinner?" he asked.

"Oh," Draco said, a little surprised. "She hoped that you'd be alright with the gardens at the manor." He noticed that Harry, Ginny and Ron immediately looked at Hermione, which was completely understandable. She had been tortured in Malfoy Manor by Bellatrix and Draco certainly couldn't blame her for not wanting to go near it.

Hermione chewed her lower lip nervously, thinking it over. After a moment, she glanced at Draco. "I think I'd like to see the gardens," she said slowly.

"They're beautiful," Draco assured her. "You won't have to set foot in the manor. I assure you, my mother will be glad to see all of you."

"Then we accept," Harry said.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This is ridiculous," Ginny commented, staring at Malfoy Manor as Pansy led them through the gates. "This house," Ginny explained, noticing Pansy's puzzled look.

"Yes, it's massive," Pansy agreed, rolling her eyes. "You should see the inside of it. It's impressive even among the wealthy. The word decadent comes to mind."

They walked along the path that was lined with hedges on both sides, drawing closer to the massive stone face of the manor. Instead of walking up the steps to the front door, Pansy veered off to the left and led them to the side of the house and the entrance of the gardens. The walked under an archway that was covered in ivy and little white flowers and found the path to be lined by rows of beautiful flowers. The path branched off in a few places, winding through the garden in different directions.

The path Pansy had taken led to a large open space with a long table. There was already food set out and ready for their arrival. Narcissa was seated at the table but Draco stood up when they approached. "Thank you for joining us," he said with a nod. He turned and held his hand out toward his mother. "As you are aware, this is Narcissa Malfoy."

Narcissa rose gracefully from her chair to greet her guests. She listened politely as Draco introduced their guests, aside from Pansy. "Thank you for accepting my invitation," Narcissa said, her gaze lingering momentarily on Hermione. "I was hoping to get better acquainted with my son's new friends." She gestured toward the table with a sweep of one arm. "Please have a seat."

Draco pulled out a chair and gestured for Hermione to sit. When he shot Ron a pointed look, the red head swiftly did the same for Pansy while Harry pulled a chair out for Ginny. Once the women were all seated, the men sat down as well.

Dinner passed pleasantly, though conversation had been rather stilted at first. Narcissa was persistent and eventually everyone seemed to relax a bit. Once everyone had eaten their fill, Narcissa looked over at Hermione. "Draco tells me that you are a very talented healer," she commented. "In fact, by all accounts you are an extraordinary witch. I've been quite impressed."

Hermione looked surprised for a moment and then she smiled. "Thank you," she responded politely.

"How do you like working with Draco?" Narcissa asked, ignoring her son's scowl. "Is he difficult?"

Hermione giggled at Draco's exasperated huff. "He's usually easy to work with, but he has his moments," she replied, giving Draco an amused look.

Narcissa glanced between the two quickly and then smiled. "Why don't you all take a look at the garden while I go and get Scorpius?" she suggested, rising from her seat. "I wouldn't want him to sleep for too long or he'll never go to bed tonight. I'll be back in a moment," she added, walking toward the house.

Taking her advice, the group got up and moved toward one of the paths that disappeared behind a row of stunning rose bushes. Pansy slowed her pace a bit and tugged at Ron's arm to encourage him to do the same. He slowed down, giving her a curious look. Harry and Ginny paused and looked at Pansy in confusion. Pansy put a finger to her lips and then pointed to Draco and Hermione. They were looking at one of the plants and talking, apparently oblivious to their friends. With a wicked grin, Pansy motioned for Ron, Harry and Ginny to follow her.

"Right up here is a section that I've reserved specifically for potion ingredients," Draco commented, pointing up the path.

"It's lovely," Hermione said, looking around.

Draco nodded. "Mother thought that you'd like the garden so we used some charms to keep the air warm and to make the flowers bloom temporarily," he explained. "The garden isn't completely barren in autumn, but it isn't as beautiful." He looked around, suddenly realizing that the others were no longer with them. "We've been abandoned," he commented wryly.

"They probably got bored listening to us," Hermione suggested.

Draco nodded, but privately he thought that Pansy had likely lured the others away to get him alone with Hermione on purpose. He certainly wouldn't tell Hermione that considering the way she'd stubbornly refused to discuss the fact he'd requested a date with her. Instead, he decided to simply enjoy the few moments of private time with her. However, just as he'd come to that conclusion, Hermione's body had swayed slightly and she stumbled.

Draco caught hold of Hermione and steadied her. "Are you alright?" he asked, frowning in concern.

"Just a little dizzy," Hermione replied. One of her hands came up to grab his shoulder as she regained her equilibrium. "The dizzy spells seem to pass fairly quickly."

Draco pulled at her, guiding her toward a bench that rested near the path. "We won't take any chances," Draco said as she sat down. "Are you tired?"

"A little," Hermione admitted.

Draco reached into a pocket inside his robes and pulled out a vial. "I brought Pepper-up for you,' he said, handing her the vial. "I expected that you'd be tired since we all had a busy day and you weren't masking your symptoms with various potions," he added with a smirk.

Hermione blushed and then drank the potion quickly, glad that it was a variation of the potion that didn't cause steam to pour from the ears. "I wasn't trying to be deceptive," she told him quietly. "I didn't want to think about it or discuss it. I just wanted to feel like myself again."

"i understand that," Draco assured her, reaching over to give her hand a comforting squeeze. On a whim, he left his hand on hers and was pleased when she didn't pull away. "Just don't hide anything from me in the future." He squeezed her hand again when she nodded in agreement. Tentatively, he reached up with his other hand tucked one of her stray curls behind her ear. He suddenly felt almost unbearably hot but he couldn't resist allowing his fingers to trail lightly over the soft skin of her jaw. Her eyes fluttered at the contact. Feeling bolder, he leaned closer and pressed his lips to hers.

For a moment, Hermione almost forgot to breathe. The kiss was chaste but lingering, and it made her heart beat frantically against her rib cage. He pulled away after a moment to meet her gaze and she was relieved to see that he seemed just as affected as she was.

"Can I do that again?" Draco asked, barely above a whisper. He smiled when she nodded and brought both of his hands up to cradle her face before bringing their lips together again. His lips caressed hers languidly, savoring each sensation. He deepened the kiss just as slowly, stubbornly resisting the urge to run his hands over her body.

He broke the kiss reluctantly and rested his forehead against hers. "They'll be looking for us," he murmured. He stood up slowly, bringing her with him. "I doubt that I was particularly helpful in relieving your dizziness," he added with a cocky smile. Hermione laughed softly and shook her head, allowing him to guide back down the path to find their friends.

Pansy smirked at Harry and Ron while Ginny stifled a giggle. They'd been watching the scene from behind some bushes with a few handy charms to avoid detection. "That was interesting," Pansy commented, stepping away from the bushes.

"I need to disinfect my eyeballs," Ron groaned, rubbing his eyes vigorously. "Why'd we have to watch them snogging?"

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Prude," she muttered. "Come on. We've got to get back to Narcissa before they do." She hurried down the bath, knowing that the other three were following closely.

They made it back to the table and found Narcissa preparing cups of tea. Scorpius was sitting on the ground hugging a teddy bear that was almost as big as he was. Narcissa looked up and frowned at them. "You look as if you've been getting into mischief," she commented. She took a cup and took her seat, looking regal and imposing. She peered at Pansy for a moment before she smirked knowingly. "Were you perhaps spying on Draco and Miss Granger?"

Pansy smirked unapologetically. "I like to think of it as strategic eavesdropping," she commented, preparing her tea and then taking a seat.

"Except we couldn't really hear anything," Ginny amended.

"We saw plenty though," Harry shuddered.

"My poor eyes..."

"Shut up Ron."

Narcissa lips twitched as she fought down a smile. "And what has caused Mr. Weasley such distress?" she asked, one perfect eyebrow rising in question.

"Hardly anything!" Pansy complained. "It was just a bit of snogging. Initiated by your son, by the way," she added, grinning at Narcissa.

"I had wondered," Narcissa said thoughtfully. "I thought that there might be something there. The way he looks at her..."

Harry and Ron exchanged looks of discomfort. "Mrs. Mallfoy," Harry began, though he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. He didn't want for there to be a conflict. Narcissa had been perfectly polite and accommodating at dinner, but the Malfoys had always been proud of their pureblood status. Draco obviously wasn't willing to allow Hermione's blood status to hinder him, but his mother was a different matter.

Narcissa watched Harry struggle for words for a moment, her eyebrows raised with what might have been polite curiosity. "Mr. Potter, my son and grandchild are everything to me," she said evenly. "My heart was broken for Draco when his wife died. I would have done anything to spare him that pain." She looked down at Scorpius pensively before continuing. "If a relationship with Miss Granger would make him happy, I will not stand in the way of it. In fact, I would encourage it."

"Even though she's muggleborn?" Ron asked stiffly.

Narcissa sighed. She met Ron's gaze steadily, understanding his wariness. Hermione Granger had been tortured by Narcissa's deranged sister, Bellatrix. The Malfoy name had been associated with the Dark Lord for many years and Narcissa doubted that would ever be forgotten.

"I cannot deny that I do feel a certain amount of pride in our blood purity," Narcissa admitted slowly. "I think it's perfectly natural to take pride in your heritage. But, I have no wish to see anyone suffer for their blood status. There is nothing inferior about that young woman. And it is far more reasonable to be proud of my son for being a good father and a good healer than it is to be proud that he found a pureblood witch to marry."

"Well, a little snog in the garden doesn't mean they're getting married," Pansy said with a dismissive wave of her hand, hoping to defuse the sudden tension. "But, he does seem to really fancy her."

Silence followed this statement, but Harry finally met Narcissa's gaze. "Thank you," he said quietly. "It's difficult for us to face someone looking down on Hermione for any reason. It means a lot that you're willing to set that aside."

Narcissa nodded, offering a tentative smile. "Miss Granger is a remarkable woman," she commented. "Her intelligence and skill is beyond that of most pure-bloods. Add that to her courage, poise and kindness... No she's much more than I would have ever expected."

Harry nodded slowly, rather amazed by the conversation. He glanced at Ron and Ginny to see that they were pleasantly surprised as well. Pansy was simply relaxing in her chair and sipping her tea with an expression that was more content than Harry had imagined possible. It was as if everything was right in Pansy's world and she was supremely satisfied. When she looked up to meet his eyes, she offered him a cheerful wink.

"It's very quiet over here," Draco commented, appearing from around a row of hedges and walking toward the group. He was leading Hermione forward with one of his hands resting lightly on her lower back. He eyed the group suspiciously when he saw Pansy's sudden delighted grin. He knew right away that Pansy, and probably the others, had witnessed his little encounter with Hermione. A glance at his mother told him that Pansy had told her about it as well. Though, he was pleased that his mother looked a little embarrassed but not upset about it.

Hermione didn't seem to notice the amused looks she was getting. She let Draco usher her to a chair and smiled tiredly when he set Scorpius in her lap. Scorpius smiled happily at her, using her arms to pull himself into a standing position on the tops of her thighs. Hermione laughed, saying "Are you a big boy now?"

"No!" Scorpius exclaimed, obviously pleased with himself.

"That's his new favorite word," Draco said with a chuckle.

Scorpius looked up at his father and grinned. "Dada," he said, pointing at Draco.

"That's right," Draco responded animatedly, making Scorpius clap his hands. Draco glanced at Hermione and frowned, swiftly shifting Scorpius to sit on her lap. "There we go," he murmured quietly.

The others had spotted the sudden strain on Hermione's face as well. She had relaxed rather quickly when Scorpius was once again sitting down. Narcissa eyed her curiously and then looked around at the others to see Harry's anxious expression.

"What am I missing?" Narcissa asked, glancing around at everyone.

For a moment, silence followed Narcissa's question. Then Hermione spoke up. "I have a condition that has not been fully diagnosed," she admitted. "Draco only learned of it last night. The most prominent symptom is numbness and tingling... For a moment I was afraid that I'd drop Scorpius," she added softly, meeting Draco's eyes.

"I thought so," Draco said gravely. "I should have anticipated that. Don't worry about it," he added firmly, seeing Hermione open her mouth. "Don't apologize. It's safe for you to hold him. Just be aware of your symptoms and let me know if it's too much."

Hermione nodded, but her eyes were damp with frustrated tears. Draco pushed away his urge to wrap her in his arms. While he doubted that Hermione would object to the gesture, he didn't want to do it in front of his mother and his nosy friends.

"You poor dear," Narcissa said, watching Hermione with concerned frown. "It must be terrifying not knowing... I know Draco will do whatever he can to find answers for you. And if I can do anything for you, you need only ask."

Hermione offered Narcissa a watery smile in response. She felt certain that she'd never feel comfortable asking Narcissa for anything, but she appreciated the sentiment. Her illness was still a mystery and it was terrifying, but a glance around at her companions reminded Hermione that she wasn't alone. For the moment, the silent support of these friends, old and new, made her feel more at peace than she had in months.

Her heart was warmed even more when Scorpius pulled her down to press a wet, open-mouthed kiss to her cheek. Pulling away, Scorpius cried "Yeah!" clapping his hands joyfully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews make me happy! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.


	4. A Nightmare Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a lot of angst. Sorry.

Harry paced the floor of his kitchen, his expression one of agitation and fear. Pansy and Ginny were leaning against the counter, their eyes following his restless movements. Pansy resisted the impulse to make a comment about wearing a hole in the floor with all the pacing. Instead she set about making tea. Once finished, she stepped directly into Harry's path. When he stopped to glare at her, she pressed a cup into his hand.

"You're driving us mad," Pansy said. "Sit down for a moment and drink that."

Harry sighed but moved into the dining room to sit at the table. Ginny and Pansy followed, carrying their own cups.

"We're worried too," Ginny said, her finger lightly caressing the rim of her cup.

"Why couldn't we just stay with her?" Harry asked, just shy of pouting.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Hermione needs to be calm, and you are not calm," she said firmly. "Draco is very good at what he does. Let him take care of her."

The sound of someone coming through the floo made Harry look up eagerly. When Ron walked into the dining room, Harry gave a disgruntled sigh and looked away.

Ron frowned. "Well, hello to you too," he said sarcastically, earning a scowl from Harry. "I take it that they're not back yet."

"No," Ginny replied. She watched as Ron shrugged off his auror robes and dropped into a chair. "They must be doing a lot of tests and diagnostic charms. The fact that it's taking ages means that Draco is being thorough." She patted Harry's hand reassuringly. "That's a good thing."

A short time later, Pansy was setting the table for dinner when Draco and Hermione finally came through the floo. Hermione's eyes were red-rimmed and her posture was tense. She seemed steady on her feet, but Draco stood very close to her, prepared to help if she lost her balance.

"Thank Merlin," Harry muttered, rushing forward to hug Hermione tightly. He pulled away to take in the sight of her and frowned with concern. "Come eat something and you can tell us how it went." He glanced at Draco as he guided Hermione to the table. Draco's expression was difficult to read, but Harry was filled with dread anyway.

Pansy had dragged Ron out of the house to get Chinese take-away. She didn't think that Harry was in a proper frame of mind to be cooking and it was a bit of a relief to get out of the house and do something helpful and productive. Ron helped her to put the food on the plates and soon they were all seated around the table and enjoying the meal as much as they could in the tense silence.

Finally, Harry could stand it no longer. "So, what do you think it is?" he asked impatiently.

Draco sighed, suddenly looking exhausted. "I don't know yet," he admitted. "The list of symptoms is more extensive than I anticipated."

"Did you find anything new?" Ron asked just before taking a bite of his lo mein.

Draco set his fork down with a thoughtful frown. "Her reflexes are abnormal," he said, noting the surprise that flitted across Harry's face. "She has clonus, which is basically a hyperactive reflex. Some of her nerves do not seem to be working properly, but I was having trouble finding specific damage. I have a few more things to check, but she was exhausted," he added, shifting his gaze to Hermione.

"You must have some idea," Harry persisted, eyeing Draco hopefully.

Draco hesitated, looking at Hermione again. She gave him a slight nod, her eyes dropping to her plate. Draco swallowed hard and then looked across the table at Harry. "Every symptom that you've told me about and every thing I found today points to her brain," he said carefully. As expected, he saw Harry's eyes widen with fear. "The brain controls everything. Something is seriously wrong, and we're just not sure what. But I will figure it out," he added firmly.

Harry looked at Hermione in disbelief. "You knew, didn't you?" he asked her quietly.

Hermione sighed. "I wasn't aware of the abnormalities in my reflexes or that the problem was so wide-spread," she replied. "But, yes I knew that my brain was effected. That was too obvious to ignore."

"Oh Hermione," Ginny said, her voice catching in a sob. "You knew?" She left her seat and hurried around the table to Hermione's side. In the next moment, Ginny had Hermione's head cradled against her breast. Ginny cried silently and stroked Hermione's hair while Hermione trembled. Pansy joined them, hugging Ginny to her side while reaching out to clutch Hermione's hand firmly. Her eyes were dry, but she looked quite miserable.

Harry watched the women, his expression tense and fearful. Hermione had a brilliant mind. She was the brightest witch he'd ever known. The thought that whatever illness plagued this remarkably intelligent woman was causing damage to her brain... It broke his heart to consider how terrified Hermione must have been when she realized the implications of her odd symptoms.

Ron took a moment to collect himself and then looked over at Draco hopefully. "What's the next step?" he asked, his voice sounding a big rougher than usual.

Draco cleared his throat, glad to get the conversation moving again. "I'm waiting to hear back from Severus," he said.

"Snape?" Ron blurted out in surprise.

"Obviously," Draco snapped.

"What good is he?" Ron asked with a scowl.

"You'll want to mind that attitude," Draco said sharply. "He's the best potions master in England, possibly in the world. Hermione's going to need something to at least slow the progress of... whatever this is," he said, waving one hand in Hermione's direction. "I'd like for her to be able to get comfortable. I realize that Severus isn't particularly pleasant but I intend to use the resources I've got."

Ron's scowl faded and he nodded reluctantly. "Whatever it takes," he said quietly.

Draco eyed Ron for a moment and then relaxed. He glanced over and saw Harry's eager nod of approval. "He's welcome here any time," Harry said. "I imagine that he'd like to assess the situation himself?" he questioned.

"Probably," Draco replied with a shrug. "I remember visiting with Severus shortly after I finished healer training and he told me about a muggle doctor he knew that also happened to be a squib. Fortunately for us, this 'doctor' is a neurologist."

Upon hearing this, Hermione pulled away from Ginny and Pansy to turn and look at Draco with interest. Her eyes were red and her face was wet with her tears. Draco felt his throat tighten at the sight. He shifted his chair closer and reached out to brush away some of her tears with gentle fingers, resolutely ignoring the other people in the room.

"I'm sure Severus will be happy to help me arrange a meeting with this doctor," Draco told her earnestly. "I sent him an owl just before we came here."

"He doesn't like me very much," Hermione said with a rueful sigh.

Draco chuckled softly. "But I like you," he told her, smiling when she blushed. "I'm perfectly confident that he'll be willing to help."

Hermione nodded as Draco relaxed in his chair again. She hadn't even thought of Severus Snape in quite some time. Her former potions professor had been very unpleasant when she had been in school. Harry had revealed Snape's loyalties during the final battle so, when Snape survived from his horrific wounds, he was proclaimed a hero. The hero status did not, however, make the man more friendly or social. He withdrew from most of wizarding society and the reporters never managed to catch up with him. Obviously, Draco was one of the few still in contact with the reclusive potions master.

Harry had wanted the opportunity to thank their former teacher, but had never been able to. Miserable sod that he was, Snape had still protected Harry over the years at Hogwarts. The least he deserved was Harry's respect and gratitude. The sentiment wasn't likely to be desired or appreciated, but Harry had always wanted to extend it anyway.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shortly after dinner, an owl arrived with a message from Narcissa. Snape had arrived at Malfoy Manor and was waiting on Draco. Draco hurried through the floo and returned a few moments later with Scorpius, Narcissa and Snape.

Scorpius immediately toddled over to Hermione when he was set on the floor. She carefully sat down on the floor and laughed when he climbed into her lap and began babbling at her happily.

Narcissa forced her gaze away from Scorpius and Hermione so she could focus on Harry. "I hope that you don't mind me joining you," she said politely.

Harry moved closer and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. "Of course not," Harry assured her kindly. "We're glad to see you. You can join us for coffee and dessert. You're welcome here." Behind him, Ron nodded in agreement with a smile.

Everyone turned to look at Snape in the next moment. His hair was longer and secured at the back of his head and it looked clean and shiny. His skin was still fair, but he'd lost the sickly pallor he'd had during the war. Overall, he appeared healthier and was obviously taking better care of himself. His expression was guarded but he'd managed not to sneer at anyone yet.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," Harry said earnestly.

Snape gave a nod of acknowledgement before looking around at the others. He was rather surprised to see Pansy Parkinson standing next to Ginny Weasley. He never imagined such a friendship. Draco was standing over Scorpius and Hermione, looking down at them with a fond smile.

Snape cleared his throat quietly. "Perhaps we can begin by examining your patient," Snape suggested, looking at Draoc expectantly.

"Of course," Draco responded. He picked Scorpius up and turned to pass the baby to Harry. Then, Draco held his hands out to Hermione and helped her up. "We'll be back," he said to Harry before gesturing for Hermione to lead the way.

Hermione led Draco and Snape to the small library. Her bedroom was probably ideal, but the thought of having the two men follow her to her bedroom made her blush. She felt self-conscious enough when it was just Draco.

Snape circled Hermione for a moment, eyeing her thoughtfully. "Is the numbness constant, or does it come and go?" he asked her suddenly.

"It comes and goes mostly," Hermione responded quietly. "Some episodes are worse than others."

"How often?" Snape prompted.

"All day, everyday," she replied ruefully. "I'm uncomfortable more times than not."

Snape nodded, his brow creased with a frown. He started to reach for her but paused. "May I?" he asked gruffly.

Hermione glanced at Draco but then nodded. She watched as Snape took her right hand and lifted her arm to stretch in front of her. She was shocked when he gently ran his fingertips over the delicate skin on the inside of her forearm. "How does that feel?" he asked her. He rolled his eyes when she looked startled and blushed. "I'm not flirting with you," he informed her with a slight smirk. "I want to know what this feels like to you." He gave the same treatment to her left forearm before returning to the right arm. He eyed her expectantly.

Hermione concentrated on her arms, frowning slightly. "That feels strange," she muttered. Snape frowned again and tapped lightly on the back of her hand with his fingertips. Next he shifted to stand behind her and tap down her spine and then over her shoulder blades. "I can feel it," Hermione said hesitantly, "but it doesn't feel right."

Snape raised one eyebrow at her. "Care to elaborate?"he said impatiently.

Hermione shot him an irritable look before she looked thoughtful again. "All the sensation seems dulled," she said carefully. "It's odd."

Snape nodded in agreement, pulling out his wand. He began casting diagnostic charms and muttering under his breath. After several long moments, he gave a frustrated sigh.

"I told you," Draco said smugly. He chuckled when Snape scowled at him. "Fatigue, numbness and tingling, vertigo, headaches, clonus reflexes..." He offered Hermione an apologetic smile. "She has me baffled."

"Indeed," Snape muttered. "I floo called Doctor Hartley just before going to the manor. If you are willing, she has agreed to meet with you for a consult and some testing," he said, looking between Hermione and Draco.

Hermione hesitated, realizing that she was expected to work the following day. Before she could fret much, Draco spoke up. "I'll speak with Healer Abbott," he told her firmly. "We'll work around our meeting with the doctor. I don't want to delay this."

"And I will provide you with some potions that will help to make you more comfortable," Snape said.

"Thank you," Hermione said softly.

"Alright, I'm sure everyone is waiting on us so they can start on dessert," Draco said. He led Hermione to the doorway. "Go on and join them. I need to speak with Severus for a moment and then we'll join you." He smiled slightly when she simply nodded and walked away without question. His smile faded when he looked back at Snape. "She's so tired," he sighed, leaning again one of the bookshelves.

Snape eyed him with a knowing smirk. "Your concern for her is touching," he remarked. "Is there something between the two of you that you neglected to mention?"

Draco chuckled softly. "I wish," he admitted with a wry smile. "I think she's reluctant to go out with me because of her illness. But, I intend to convince her."

Snape frowned in concern. "Perhaps you should wait until you know what's wrong," he suggested. He sighed when Draco waved the suggestion away dismissively. "Fine, do what you like. But, keep in mind that her condition may be very serious. Her combination of symptoms is cause for concern."

Before Draco could reply, he heard a muffled cry and then Harry shouting his name. He rushed down the hall and down the stairs with Snape close behind him. They found the others in the living room looking anxious. Harry had his arms wrapped around Hermione's trembling form, and he was muttered soothing words in her ear. Scorpius was crying while Narcissa attempted to calm him.

"What happened?" Draco demanded.

"Pain," Hermione gasped, pulling her face away from Harry to speak.

"Where?" Snape asked.

"Just my right arm," Hermione responded, shuddering as pain surged through her arm again.

"What kind of pain?" Draco asked urgently. "Burning? Stabbing?"

"It's like electricity," Hermione replied, her voice trembling with suppressed tears. "It's almost like the cruciatus curse, but it's only in my arm."

"Okay, okay," Draco said softly, gently pulling her away from Harry to hug her against his chest. He cradled her head with one hand and stroked her back softly with the other. "I've got you. Just relax. Severus will get you something for the pain," he added, looking up to see that Snape was already searching his many pockets.

"I didn't mean to scare Scorpius," Hermione murmured, nodding at Severus in thanks as he handed her a vial. She drank the potion without hesitation before handing the empty vial back to Snape.

"He'll be fine," Draco said, motioning for his mother to bring Scorpius over. His son's lip was quivering and his eyes were brimming with tears. "It's alright Scorp. She's just fine, see?"

Scorpius whimpered softly, but he leaned forward and held his little arms out to Hermione. Draco intercepted and took Scorpius into his own arms before shifting so the little boy could be close to Hermione. Scorpius sat on his father's hip while leaning slightly to rest his head against Hermione's chest. His chubby hand came up to grasp at the neckline of her shirt. He gave a shuddering sigh and then sniffled. Hermione lifted her left hand to stroke the baby's soft hair.

"That's so sweet," Ginny murmured. She smiled when she saw Narcissa turn away to swipe at her tears.

"Perhaps this has been too much excitement for one day," Narcissa suggested. "Miss Granger needs to rest."

Hermione looked up and frowned at this suggestion. "I'm alright now," she objected, when Narcissa moved toward the fireplace. "There's no need for you to leave so quickly."

Narcissa shook her head in exasperation. "I must insist that you take care of yourself," she told Hermione firmly. "You need extra rest and we all understand that. However, I do intend to visit with you soon if that is agreeable to you."

"Of course," Hermione assured the woman.

"Then I will see you soon dear," Narcissa said. She stepped closer to take Scorpius and waited while Hermione kissed his soft round cheek affectionately. Narcissa turned her gaze to Draco and she smiled. "I'll put your son to bed. You just take your time and make sure our Miss Granger is comfortable." Without waiting for a response, she moved to the fireplace, glancing over her shoulder at Snape. "Coming Severus?"

Severus nodded and followed Narcissa. "I will send you an owl with a time after I speak to the doctor," he told Draco. A moment later, he disappeared in a swirl of green flames.

"I had better go too," Pansy said. "I'll see you all tomorrow though. Feel better Hermione," she added, giving Hermione's hand a squeeze as she passed.

Draco sighed softly. "Come on," he said, leading Hermione toward the stairs. "Let's get you tucked in."

Harry, Ginny and Ron watched as the pair ascended the stairs silently. After a moment, Ginny glanced between the two men. "Cake?" she suggested lightly. She giggled when they nodded eagerly and followed her to the kitchen.

Upstairs, Draco waited while Hermione changed into her pajamas and then helped her into her bed. Once she was laying down, he covered her up and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, gently brushing her hair away from her face.

Hermione felt herself blush at the tenderness of his touch. She was quite grateful that he'd left the lights dim so he was less likely to see the redness in her cheeks. "I'm fine," Hermione said quietly. "The pain just startled me. I wasn't doing anything to trigger it. I'm not hurting anymore though."

"I would hope not," Draco replied with a smile. "Get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Draco," she said hastily as he stood to leave. She swallowed tightly when he looked back at her curiously. "Will you stay with me a little longer? I just..." She paused, considering for a moment. She couldn't think of a word to adequately describe how she felt. The sudden searing pain had frightened her. At the moment, all she had was the memory of that pain to add to her list of symptoms. She felt helpless and afraid, and a little angry at herself for feeling that way.

Draco didn't seem to need any further explanation. He toed off his shoes and climbed into the bed with her, relaxing against her pillows. He pulled her into his arms delighting in having her body pressed against his. "I'll stay until you go to sleep," he murmured.

Hermione shifted to look at his face with a grateful smile. "Thank you," she whispered. The dim lighting was just enough to allow her to see his eyes drop to her lips before drifting back up to her eyes. Her breath hitched when he hesitated but then pressed his lips to hers.

Draco kissed her over and over again, softly and slowly. He was so tempted to deepen the kiss and plunder her mouth, but forced himself to simply enjoy the sensual feeling of her lips moving against his. After several blissful moments, he eased his mouth away from hers to press a kiss to her forehead.

Hermione snuggled against Draco's chest, grinning when she felt his heart racing against his rib cage. She was eventually lulled to sleep by the sound of his breathing and the feeling of him drawing circles on her back with his fingertips.

When Harry, Ginny and Ron finally decided to go to bed, they paused outside of Hermione's door. "I bet he's still in there," Harry whispered with a smirk.

Ginny hesitated and then leaned closer to listen at the door. Hearing nothing, she turned the door knob and carefully pushed the door open. She sincerely hoped that the lack of locking spells meant that she wasn't going to get an eyeful of Draco shagging Hermione silly. Though Ginny would gladly listen to every detail if her friend wished to share, Ginny really didn't want to actually see it.

She grinned at the sight of Hermione cuddled up against Draco. Draco had fallen asleep with his arms securely around Hermione. Ginny shifted so Harry and Ron could peer into the room briefly before she shut the door again.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next week was quite busy for Hermione and Draco. Doctor Hartley had been very interested in Hermione's illness and had immediately ordered a shocking number of tests. Some of the tests were only slightly familiar to Hermione while the others she knew nothing about. Surely they would have some answers soon.

Hermione was pleased to see Draco asking questions and taking detailed notes. He had been particularly interested in the large metal tube that he'd been informed was for MRIs, whatever that meant. He'd been both horrified and fascinated when a sample of Hermione's spinal cord fluid was taken.

At the end of the week, Harry rushed to St. Mungo's at Draco's request. He hurried to the office that Draco and Hermione shared and found Draco pacing the floor. Draco's expression made Harry's breath catch in his throat. "What is it?" Harry asked, his heart pounding with growing fear. "How bad it is?"

Draco looked at Harry and swallowed around the lump in his throat. "It's bad," he said quietly.

"Well, what is it? Where's Hermione?" Harry demanded, panic creeping into his tone.

Draco drew in a shuddering breath. "Hermione was given a calming draught and instructed to rest," Draco said tightly. "Severus is with her and trying to keep her relaxed."

"You sent Snape to relax another human being?" Harry practically screeched. "Are you mad?"

"I had few options," Draco snapped. "I couldn't keep it together enough to be any use to her." He sighed when Harry tensed and shot him a worried look. "Hermione has multiple sclerosis, and it appears to be malignant."

Harry slumped down in a chair, his eyes focused intently on Draco's face. Harry wasn't familiar with multiple sclerosis, but he understood the word "malignant" well enough to know that it was very serious.

"Multiple sclerosis is an auto-immune disease," Draco explained, looking thoroughly miserable. "Basically the immune system is attacking the nervous system and causing a lot of damage. There are a few types, but the malignant sort obviously implies that it moves very quickly. We didn't realize how bad it was because of the potions that Hermione has been using. The nerve potions helped to repair some of the damage that the disease is causing. Despite that, she's gradually gotten worse."

Harry stared at Draco, his bright green eyes brimming with tears. "Can you fix it?" Harry choked out. "Now that you know what it is, can you fix it?"

Draco flinched at the question, hating the answer that he'd have to give. "There's no known cure," he responded reluctantly. "Muggles have ways of treating it and slowing down the progression of the disease. And this isn't something that you would normally see in a witch or wizard. I've never seen it before."

Harry moaned, covering his face with his hands. After a few moments, he looked up to meet Draco's eyes. "We need to go see her," Harry said quietly.

Draco nodded and led Harry out of the office and down the hall to one of the patient rooms. They peered into the small square window in the door and saw Hermione and Snape sitting together. Hermione was sitting up on the bed, leaning against the pillows. Snape was perched on the edge of the and talking to her.

Harry pushed open the door and walked straight to the bed. He hugged Hermione quickly and then pulled away to look her in the eye. "We'll get through this together," he said firmly. He kissed her forehead and then looked over at Snape. "Thank you for sitting with her," he said sincerely.

Snape nodded to Harry in acknowledgement and then gave Hermione knee an awkward pat before standing up. This brought a slight smile to Hermione's face. Snape looked a bit pleased despite his discomfort.

Draco approached the bed hesitantly. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I should have stayed with you."

"You were shocked," Hermione reminded him gently. "I understand that you needed some time to collect your thoughts."

Draco appreciated her words, but he still felt rather guilty. "Well I'm here now," he assured her. "I'll be here every step of the way. We're going to find a cure." He frowned when Hermione averted her eyes and sighed heavily. "I will find a cure," he insisted stubbornly. "Do not give up on me. Promise me that," he said firmly.

Hermione took a deep breath, determined to not allow any more tears to fall. Before she could respond, Snape spoke up. "I am at your disposal," he said to Draco. "I'm willing to assist with research and potions."

The door swung open at that moment and Doctor Hartley stepped into the room. Doctor Hartley appeared to be in her sixties and reminded Hermione of Professor McGonagall. She was a bit stern, but she obviously cared very much about her patients.

Doctor Hartley eyed the three men in the room suspiciously. "We're not upsetting Healer Granger are we?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest imperiously.

"They're fine," Hermione told the doctor.

"Good," Doctor Hartley said briskly. "Now I've gone over some things with Ms. Granger regarding her illness, and I've got a list here as well." She held up a roll of parchment and passed it to Harry. "You must take precautions to help prevent falls and other injuries. I also intend to provide you with research materials."

"What about treatment?" Harry asked anxiously.

"I will be consulting with Severus and Healer Malfoy to determine the best treatment," Doctor Hartley said. "The nerve potions seemed to reverse at least some of the damage, but there are limits to how much is safe to take." She sighed heavily, looking at Hermione sympathetically. "It's perfectly natural to be afraid. There's no shame in it. But, try to hold onto hope as well as you can. I'll do whatever I can for you, and I have a feeling that these men would move mountains to fix this for you," she added, looking around at Harry, Draco and Snape.

Doctor Hartley left a short time later, assuring them that she'd be in touch frequently. Harry hurried away to contact Ginny while Snape and Draco remained with Hermione discussing various potions that could offer Hermione relief. Hermione remained on the hospital bed, allowing herself to relax as well as she could.

Before long, Harry returned with Ron, Ginny and Pansy. The two women hurried to Hermione and enveloped her in a hug. For a few moments, the women were silent and Hermione allowed herself to weep bitterly in the arms of her friends.

"Draco won't give up," Pansy said softly. "You will get better."

"It's a death sentence," Hermione choked out with a sob. "Muggles that are diagnosed with a malignant form of MS usually die quickly. There's no cure. We can only hope to slow it down a bit."

"We're not muggles," Pansy reminded her.

"There's got to be something that we can do," Ginny added fretfully. "I've never even heard of Multiple Sclerosis before today."

"Indeed," Snape finally spoke up. "I find it highly suspicious that you've been diagnosed with something that we have not previously seen in our world," he told Hermione.

Harry's whole body stiffened as he considered Snape's words. "Do you suspect foul play?" he asked sharply.

"Oh Merlin," Ron groaned anxiously.

"It may be worth considering," Snape replied. "Obviously you cannot launch a full investigation at the moment. You have nothing to go on aside from a rare form of a debilitating condition that one would not normally see in a witch."

Ron growled in frustration earning a disapproving look from Draco and the three women. "What the bloody hell do we do then?" he demanded.

Snape sneered at the red-head. "Keep an open mind," Snape retorted. "Consider that if someone has caused this illness, Granger may not be the only target. Also, it's worth considering when looking for a cure." He pointed at Hermione for emphasis. "If her condition was orchestrated by an outside source, it may change how we should go about treating it."

Draco stood up and walked toward the window, gazing at the cloudy skies pensively. Hermione's condition was very serious and time wasn't on her side. Despite years of research, muggles had been unable to find a cure. Perhaps wizards could find a cure, but it would take time that Hermione might not have. Though Draco hated the idea that someone might have intentionally made her sick, the possibility may work in their favor. If Draco could find the cause and eliminate it, perhaps he could then reverse all of the damage. The problem was, Hermione had seen a healer at the onset of her symptoms and nothing had been found.

Draco glanced back over his shoulder, toward the hospital bed. Hermione was looking a bit calmer while Ginny and Pansy each held one of her hands. Harry and Ron were attempting to lighten the mood by telling stories in a rather animated fashion. Occasionally, even Snape gave an amused snort. Sighing, Draco moved to join the others at Hermione's bedside. She met his eyes and gave him a slight smile. He couldn't resist smiling back.


	5. A Song for Hermione

Harry and Ginny spent an entire day placing charms on all the furniture in the house to make it more stable. If Hermione bumped the small tables, they'd remain perfectly steady. If she needed to lean against them, they were sturdy enough to support her weight. Harry had been rather afraid that Hermione would fall and pull a shelf down on herself.

Draco had enlisted the help of Severus and Doctor Hartley in order to find a service dog. It was a large golden retriever named Apollo, and Hermione fell in love right away. She hadn't been certain that a service dog would be a good idea, but Draco had all but begged her to give Apollo a chance. Hermione didn't want anyone to hover over her, but her friends were afraid for her to be alone. Apollo was a nice compromise. The dog would be much like a pet, but he was trained to help her and keep her safe.

Apollo proved his worth rather quickly. He stayed close to her side, and even nudged her into her chair when she got dizzy. He carefully retrieved her wand when she dropped it, and followed directions in a patient manner. He also snuggled close when she was feeling upset and overwhelmed. Draco was quite proud of himself as he watched Apollo bond with Hermione.

Ron and Pansy had a very different idea of how they could be helpful. Pansy had been discussing live music with Seamus for his pub. Ron had thought that it would be great to have a sort of Hogwarts reunion, so he and Pansy helped to organize it with Seamus. Of course, some of their plan depended on Draco's cooperation.

"We picked up dinner," Ron called out loudly as he and Pansy walked through the front door.

Hermione and Draco were sitting on the floor, watching as Scorpius grasped Apollo's fur to pull himself up to stand. Apollo turned his head to look at Scorpius, but didn't seem bothered. Ginny and Harry were sitting nearby talking quietly.

"Did everyone have a good day?" Pansy asked brightly, passing the paper bag she had been carrying to Ron. "Will you go get that set up Love?" she asked him sweetly, beaming at him when he nodded and walked off to do as she asked. She sighed happily. "I've got him so well trained and I'm not even dating him," she commented in a theatrical whisper.

"Good work," Draco responded with a smirk.

"Yes it is," Pansy said smugly. "Now, I have amazing news. Ron and I have been talking to Seamus and we thought it would be great fun to have a Hogwarts night over at 'Mischief Managed'. We would encourage people from all four houses to attend and lay all these old rivalries to rest."

"Could be fun," Harry said with a shrug.

"Exactly!" Pansy responded excitedly. "It'll be so much fun. The best part is, you'll all get to hear our band."

Draco froze momentarily and then shot Pansy a glare. "Care to run that by me again?" he asked coldly.

"The band," Pansy said with a little shrug. "Seamus wants for us to do the live music and I told him we'd love to." She paused and eyed Draco sternly. "Don't make me beg Draco. You know I hate that. We need you."

Draco scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. "The band hasn't been together in ages Pansy," he said stubbornly. "Its been years."

"Don't be silly," Pansy said airily, waving her hand dismissively. "We'd just need a few short practice sessions and it would be just like the old days." Her eyes darted to Hermione before she smiled slyly at Draco. "I happen to know that you've been doing some writing." She cackled gleefully when Draco blushed.

"Writing?" Harry asked curiously.

"Sod off," Draco growled.

Pansy sighed impatiently. "Let's have a little chat," she said, stepping toward the doorway and then looking at Draco expectantly. Draco sneered but got up and followed Pansy.

Hermione glanced down at Scorpius with a grin. The little boy had dropped into her lap and was playing with her hands. "I think Daddy's in trouble," Hermione said playfully.

"Uh oh," Scorpius said, smiling widely when Hermione, Harry and Ginny laughed.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione walked into "Mischief Managed" feeling very self-conscious. Pansy had instructed everyone to wear "school uniforms". So, Hermione was wearing a pleated skirt that came down to the middle of her thighs, and a gray vest over a white button down shirt. The look was completed with her Gryffindor tie. She had thrown on her school robes but left them open, keeping her outfit visible. Ginny was dressed identically, but didn't seem bothered by it. Quite the opposite... She'd been shooting Harry saucy looks since she'd put the outfit on.

"I feel so naughty in this," Ginny said, running her hands down her body with a pointed look at Harry. She smirked when he blushed and patted self-consciously at his robes. He was suddenly quite grateful for the loose fabric.

"I don't want to feel naughty!" Hermione objected. She pouted as Ginny swatted her hands, preventing Hermione from wrapping her robes more securely around herself.

An excited squeal made them look up and they saw Pansy rushing over to them. Pansy had evidently abandoned her robes, but her green Slytherin tie was still proudly secured around her neck. "You look smashing!" Pansy cried, eyeing Hermione and Ginny with obvious delight. "It's a shame we didn't fill out these uniforms so pleasantly when we were students," she commented, reaching up to pat her own breasts fondly.

Harry snorted in amusement. "Ginny seems to share your thoughts, but Hermione is less than pleased," he noted, shooting Hermione a sympathetic look.

"Nonsense," Pansy said dismissively. "Don't be a prude, Love." Ignoring Hermione's indignant huff, she motioned for them to follow her toward the tables set up near the stage. "I had hoped that you'd be willing to sit with Snape. He arrived just a few moments ago, but our classmates don't seem keen on the idea of sitting with him. Perhaps you could break the ice? I'd like for him to enjoy himself."

"Of course," Hermione said with a nod.

She approached the table where her ex-professor sat with a tumbler of fire-whiskey. She was pleased when he stood up immediately when he noticed her and guided her to a chair while Ginny took a seat at the table with them.

While Severus went to fetch drinks for Hermione and Ginny, Pansy stepped closer to Harry. "Draco's being difficult," she murmured quietly. "I think it's just nerves, but I was hoping that you could talk to him. I'd hate to have to kill him."

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "He'll be fine," he assured her. "Let's go." He waved to Ginny before leading Pansy away.

Ginny watched them leave with a thoughtful frown. "What do you think they're up to?" she asked Hermione.

"I can't even imagine," Hermione replied with a giggle. "It is Pansy, and you really never know with her. And Harry can't stay out of trouble."

"Indeed," Severus agreed setting the drinks on the table before taking his seat. Once settled, he looked Hermione over. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Well enough," Hermione replied quietly. "I had a nerve potion just before coming."

"And we made her rest most of the day," Ginny added. "We were tempted to bring Apollo, but we thought that would draw too much unwanted attention. We'll keep an eye on her."

Before anything else could be said, Pansy and Draco walked onto the stage along with a few other former Slytherins. Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Gregory Goyle were easily recognizable but they had changed quite a bit since their school days. Aside from Pansy, they were all still wearing their long black school robes, the Slytherin crest displayed proudly on their chests.

Hermione looked around when she heard discontented murmuring coming from the audience. The different houses were mostly separated from each other with very little merging. The former Slytherins were receiving hostile stares from the other houses, but so far no one had begun throwing hexes.

Seamus hurried onto the stage and smiled broadly at the crowd. "Hello everyone, and welcome to 'Mischief Managed!" he cried, throwing his arms out wide as if to embrace the whole pub. "Thank you for coming to our first Hogwarts night. I'm pleased to see such a diverse crowd and we even have a former professor among us." He gestured to Severus, whose only response was to raise one eyebrow before downing the rest of his firewhiskey. Unperturbed, Seamus waved to the Slytherins waiting patiently on the stage. "Behind me is a band led by Slytherin bad boy, Draco Malfoy."

A few people applauded, but most of the audience looked uneasy. "Well, this is awkward," Ginny muttered while Hermione nodded.

Determined to make the night a success, Seamus plowed on. "To make things interesting, and to encourage unity, Harry Potter will be joining Renegade on the stage." On cue, Harry stepped out from behind the curtain and walked toward the front of the stage. This news drew more cheers from the crowd, thought the Slytherins still appeared less than thrilled.

"Renegade?" Draco hissed at Pansy. "You named the band Renegade?"

Pansy rolled her eyes impatiently. "Well, we can hardly let Finnegan call us 'Draco Malfoy and These Other People' all night," she retorted.

"I don't know," Harry said with a grin. "Sounds pretty catchy."

The conversation wasn't especially loud, but some of the crowd heard it anyway and wondered at the novelty of Harry Potter chatting so comfortably with Malfoy and Parkinson. The audience watched as Harry whispered something and Draco blushed while Pansy cackled gleefully.

"I love it!" Pansy crowed in delight. "How about we get started then?" She tugged a small item from her pocket and placed it on the floor before enlarging it with her wand to reveal what looked like a muggle keyboard. The others wordlessly followed her lead.

Draco and Blaise were now holding sleek black guitars. They looked like electric guitars, but the lack of wiring told Hermione that they likely used magic to produce the desired sound. Greg was now sitting down with a string bass propped on the floor between his knees. Theodore was perched on a stool at a drum set, twirling one the of the drum sticks idly between his fingers. The men all shrugged out of their robes and tossed them aside. They were all wearing black trousers, white collared shirts with long sleeves. Blaise grinned wickedly at the crowd, rolling his sleeves up to reveal his muscular forearms.

When the music started, Ginny shot Hermione an incredulous look. "They sound fantasic," Ginny enthused. She was further astounded when Draco signaled Harry with a short nod and Harry started singing.

Harry's voice was far from flawless, but his voice was clear and pleasant to listen to. He made up for his lack of training with enthusiasm. As Harry moved to the music, Ginny suspected that Harry had had a few drinks to loosen up before hand. She watched the sway of his hips, biting her lip and fervently wishing she could rub herself all over him at that moment.

Draco began singing a moment later, his fingers never losing their pace on the strings of his guitar. He moved across the stage, interacting with the crowd. His movements were somehow sensual and energetic at the same time. He was obviously a very talented singer, but his voice blended well with Harry's and the audience loved it.

When the song ended, Harry left the stage and went to sit next to Ginny, grinning at his old classmates. The band played a few more upbeat songs that got the audience dancing. Hermione had even allowed Ginny to drag her away from the table to dance. The Slytherins were mingling a bit more after Harry approached them. Hermione wasn't sure what Harry had said to them, but they seemed much more relaxed.

Seamus was thrilled. Everyone seemed to be having fun. As instructed, he approached the stage again and addressed his happy customers. "Absolutely brilliant," he said, gesturing to the band and starting another round of applause. "We're not done yet, but I thought we'd slow this down just a bit..." He smiled broadly and leaned slightly toward the audience conspiratorially. "Would you believe that Malfoy is single?" he asked in a disbelieving tone.

This caused cheers from many of the women and a few of the men. A blush crept onto Draco's cheeks and he looked down.

Ginny giggled. "Poor Draco," she chortled. "I bet Pansy put Seamus up to this."

"Probably," Severus agreed with an amused snort.

"It's true," Seamus went on solemnly. "I can hardly believe it myself. But, this next song was inspired by a lovely lady that's taken hold of his heart, even if he hasn't managed to tell her so yet."

Draco was horrified to see the dreamy smiles on the faces of his old classmates. Pansy had insisted that they do the song, but she hadn't mentioned that she'd hinted to Seamus about it. The silly bint just had to manipulate the situation and make it even more dramatic than it already was. Swallowing tightly, he set down his guitar and moved to the keyboard. Pansy stepped away and reached into her pocket, enlarging a violin with a lazy flick of her wand.

Blaise was now holding a glossy black oboe, his guitar sitting at his feet. Theodore had set his drum sticks down and was watching Draco with an amused expression. Gregory was sitting perfectly still, his bow held lightly in one hand, waiting on Draco.

Draco sighed and began to play a lovely melody. After a few measures, Blaise joined in. Draco had always thought that the oboe sounded rather like a loud duck, but in that moment the sound was a perfect match for the tender melody of the piano. Pansy's violin and Greg's bass joined in finally, the music swelling pleasantly in the pub.

Draco began singing, his eyes closing momentarily as he focused on the words. His fingers danced lightly across the keys as his body swayed slightly with the music.

Hermione watched Draco with wide, tear-filled eyes. The song was truly beautiful and his silky baritone voice sent chills down her spine. Even more wonderful were the sweet words that indicated a devotion and longing that made Hermione's heart race. As the tears began to trickle down her cheeks, she felt someone gently lay their hand over hers. She looked over to see the Severus had reached out to her. He looked a bit uncomfortable but determined. Ginny took hold of Hermione's other hand and squeezed it.

As Draco sang the chorus for the last time, he turned his head slightly to look directly at Hermione. His expression made her breath catch in her throat and her hands trembled. When the song ended, Seamus hurried back to the stage clapping his hands enthusiastically with the audience. "Let's take a short break," Seamus said, shooting Draco a meaningful look. "Grab a drink, mingle a bit," he said, making a shooing motion to the crowd.

Draco approached the edge of the stage and sat down. Meeting Hermione's gaze, his smiled slightly and beckoned her closer with one crooked finger. Hermione had already gotten to her feet so she approached Draco, a nervous blush coloring her cheeks.

"Did you like song?" Draco asked softly, gently brushing away the remnants of her tears.

"It was beautiful," Hermione murmured.

Draco smiled, sliding his hand down her arm until he could lace his fingers with hers. "I wrote it about you," he told her, his eyes searching her face. "I want for us to be together."

Hermione's looked down, focusing on their hands. "It's not a good idea," she said quietly. "I've got MS and there's no cure. Even if you find a cure, it might not be in time. Why make a commitment to me when I may not be around for long?"

Draco drew in a shaky breath. "Please don't say that," he said. "I'm going to make you well again. And even if I couldn't, I would still want to have as much of you as I can." He looked her in the eye seriously. "It's worth the risk to me. I want to be with you. Please say yes," he added quietly.

Hermione sighed as Draco reached up to gently brush his fingertips over her cheeks. "Yes," she whispered.

Draco's eyes widened. "Yes?" he asked anxiously.

"Yes," Hermione said again, smiling.

Draco laughed suddenly before leaning forward and claiming her lips with his. The kiss was cut short by the sound of cheering. The rest of the band had gathered around the table with Harry, Ginny and Severus. They were clapping enthusiastically.

"Thank Merlin," Blaise commented with a grin. "Can you even imagine what a pain in the arse this miserable sod is when he's in a sulk?" he asked Harry.

"Oh I can imagine," Harry replied with a smirk.

"Shut it," Draco snapped, but the effect was ruined when he lifted Hermione's hand to place a tender kiss on her palm. Hermione smiled, leaning against him as he wrapped his arm around her.

Harry grinned, glad to see Hermione looking so happy. Then he looked at Draco curiously. "You didn't tell me that you could play the piano," Harry commented. "You made it sound like you learned the guitar to be rebellious."

"He did," Pansy said with a nod. "Then he learned piano as well. But, Lucius doesn't know that," she added with a grin. "He did that just to irritate his father."

Blaise moved closer to Hermione and Draco with a somber expression. "Congratulations," he told Draco before turning to Hermione. "Granger, we were sorry to hear about your illness."

Hermione stiffened, looking at Blaise warily. She relaxed slightly when Draco pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. Harry seemed comfortable enough with the ex-Slytherins and Draco was proving to be very protective of her.

"We've tried to stick together over the years," Blaise said, motioning between himself and the other Slytherins. "If Pansy and Draco are your friends, then we support it." Behind him, Theo and Greg nodded solemnly in agreement. "I'm sure we'd find it mutually beneficial to be friendly toward each other."

Hermione smiled. The Slytherins' methods for making friends with Gryffindors was a bit amusing. Pansy had said much the same in the beginning, making the prospect of a friendship sound like a business arrangement. But, Pansy had slipped right into the mix and was a good friend to Hermione, gaining only friendship in return. Blaise seemed willing enough to set the past aside, so Hermione allowed him to shake her hand.

Evidently pleased with himself, Blaise urged the band back onto the stage. He grinned at Hermione as he passed her.

Draco seemed much more relaxed now, winking at Hermione as he began to play the guitar. He really knew how to work a crowd. He was in constant motion, and his face was animated as he sang. Blaise was swiveling his hips suggestively earning screams of delight from some of the female Gryffindors.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I can't believe I missed it," Ron groaned.

"It was great!" Ginny said. "I got to talk to Daphne Greengrass and Milicent Bulstrode. We danced. The band was amazing, and Draco sang a song that he wrote about Hermione," she added grinning at Draco.

"Really?" Ron asked, eyeing Draco with interest.

Draco avoided looking at Ron. Instead, he focused on watching Hermione pet Apollo. The dog seemed to relieved to be reunited with Hermione. Apollo sniffed at her eagerly as if making sure that she was alright.

Narcissa had stayed at the house along with Scorpius to keep the dog company while the others had gone to the pub. Scorpius was now sleeping soundly against her chest, exhausted from playing with the dog. Narcissa had been happy to stay with the dog and the baby. She'd known that Pansy was pressuring Draco to perform the song that he'd written for Hermione. Her son was smitten, and Narcissa very much wanted to see him happy again.

Hermione allowed Apollo to nuzzle against her once more before she stood up. As she straightened, she was hit with a wave of dizziness and swayed dangerously on her feet. Apollo whined and pressed closer to Hermione, letting her lean against him. Draco stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her, looking her over anxiously.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, his eyes wide with alarm.

"Dizzy," Hermione muttered, closing her eyes to ease the nauseating spinning sensation.

Draco hugged her to his chest, heaving a sigh. "I was afraid this would happen," he said, stroking Hermione's hair gently. "Today was just too much for you."

"But, I had fun," Hermione argued, smiling tiredly. She snuggled closer, to tip of her nose brushing against the side of his neck. "I'm glad I went," she added softly.

Draco chuckled softly. "I'm glad too," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Let's get you to bed." He swept her up into his arms easily, cradling her against his chest.

"Apollo went out shortly before you returned," Narcissa said helpfully. "So he should be fine to lay down with Hermione."

"Thanks," Draco said with a nod. "I'll just be a moment. Come Apollo," he called to the dog as he left the room. Apollo followed obediently, his tail wagging happily behind him.

Once Draco was upstairs, Narcissa looked at Pansy and Harry expectantly. "I assume your plan worked," Narcissa asked.

"Beautifully," Pansy assured her. "The song was gorgeous. It made Hermione cry."

"And Draco was so sweet," Ginny added.

"So, they're together now? Officially?" Ron asked hesitantly.

Harry and Ginny nodded while Pansy fixed Ron with a piercing look. "Is that a problem Weasley?" she asked coolly.

"No," Ron said quickly, shaking his head. "Not at all. He's been a decent bloke. If she's happy and he's good to her, I have no issue with it."

Pansy peered at him for a moment longer before she nodded, apparently satisfied. "He's completely gone on her," she said, looking at Narcissa. "The way he looked at Hermione tonight..."

Narcissa smiled, glad that the night had gone so well. Hermione was an extraordinary woman and it was a shame that she was suffering so cruelly. It seemed risky to establish a romantic relationship following such a devastating diagnosis, but Draco seemed to have his heart set on being with her. Narcissa had seen how much it hurt Draco to see Hermione suffer.

In Hermione's room, Apollo jumped on to the bed and curled up happily. Draco had patiently waited in the hallway for Hermione to change into bed clothes. When she was finished he went back in and got her tucked in. Once she was resting comfortably against the pillows, he reached over to hold her hand. "You made me very happy today," he said lightly.

Hermione smiled. "Are you always so easy to please?" she teased.

Draco chuckled at her. "Certainly not," he replied with a smirk. "But I don't think you'll have a problem with it."

Hermione looked away for a moment before meeting his gaze with a worried frown. "How are we going to do this?" she asked softly.

Draco leaned closer to kiss her lips gently. When he pulled away, he smiled warmly at her. "One day at a time," he responded. "I intend to spoil you and spend time with you as often as I can. While I'm doing that, I'll also be looking for a cure."

"And if you can't find one?" she asked, blinking back tears. "This seems irresponsible considering that you have Scorpius to think about..."

"I've thought about that," he told her quickly, cutting off her protests. "As I said, I want as much with you as I can. Scorpius loves you and I'm convinced that he'll only benefit from knowing you. Let's just enjoy each other and see how it goes. I just couldn't stand not being able to officially claim you. Now, you're my girlfriend and soon everyone will know it."

Hermione snorted with amusement. "Parvati and Padma were there," she commented, rolling her eyes. "All of England probably knew an hour ago."

"That's true," Draco laughed. He kissed Hermione again before standing up. "Get some sleep and I'll see you tomorrow." He stroked Apollo's fur briefly before leaving the room.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, Severus came to the house before Draco did. He had a fresh supply of potions for Hermione. He found her sitting sideways on of the couch with a pillow tucked under her knees. The legs of her loose cotton pajama bottoms had pushed up to reveal her lower legs. Ginny was kneeling on the floor with her hands wrapped around one of Hermione's calves and kneading the muscles firmly.

"Is everything alright?" Severus asked, noting Hermione's pained expression.

"She's have some cramping and muscle spasms in her legs," Ginny said, not looking up from her task. "It happens on occasion, so we try to help her relax."

Severus frowned thoughtfully, reaching into one of his pockets and pulling out a jar. He approached Ginny and motioned toward Hermione. "May I?" he asked.

Ginny moved away and watch as Severus knelt and dipped his fingers into the jar, coating them with a white salve. He reached for Hermione's calf and carefully massaged the salve into her muscles. After a few minutes, he gave her other leg the same treatment. Once he was done, he cleaned his hands with a spell and helped Hermione shift her pajamas to cover her legs again.

Hermione sighed in relief, smiling gratefully at Severus. "Thank you, that's so much better," she said.

Severus nodded. "You should wait about an hour before you try to walk around," he warned her. "The muscles are little too 'relaxed' to keep you on your feet."

Draco didn't show up until around lunch time. When he stepped through the floo, he was greeted with the sight of Hermione relaxed on the couch with her legs draped across Severus' lap. They were both reading and seemed to be ignoring their strange seating arrangement. Apollo was sitting nearby watching Harry and Ron play wizards chess. Ginny was whispering hints in Harry's ear while Ron scowled at her.

Hermione spotted Draco and smiled. "There you are," she said looking relieved. "I was wondering why you hadn't come over yet."

"I got called into work for a strange case," he said, looking her over. "Are you alright? It's not every day that I see someone using Severus as an ottoman."

Severus rolled his eyes. "She was having painful cramping in her legs," Severus explained. "I applied a salve."

Draco nodded and helped Hermione get to her feet. Once she was standing he placed his hands on her hips. "Hello darling," he said softly just before he kissed her. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here to take care of you."

"It's fine Draco," she assured him. "What was the case?"

"A very interesting one indeed," Draco told her. "When I explained your situation to Healer Abbott, he decided to look through recent cases to look for other anomalies. He didn't find anything like your case, but we did find something strange. We had a woman that's been seeing multiple healers over the last three weeks. She's pureblood so she's never been to a muggle doctor. She's had a fever off and on, fatigue and a weird rash on her face. She seems to have arthritis and she's got some swelling in her ankles. I got some blood tests and then Abbott contacted a friend of his that's a doctor." He gave Hermione a slightly bewildered look. "We think it's Lupus."

"Lupus?" Hermione repeated with a frown. "That's odd..."

"Another condition that you would not ordinarily see in a wizard..." Severus muttered thoughtfully.

"That's not all," Draco said with a sigh. "We found three more cases with strange unexplained symptoms. Those haven't been diagnosed yet. But, each patient started having problems roughly eight months ago."

"Like me," Hermione said quietly.

Draco kissed her hands fervently. "I know it's not much to go on, but it's something," he said firmly. He looked over at Harry and Ron. "Is it enough evidence to start investigating?"

Harry rubbed the back of neck with a thoughtful frown. "Not really..." Harry said reluctantly. "If you can get those patients to allow you to run more tests..."

"Healer Abbott is contacting them," Draco assured him.

"Good," Harry said with a nod. "Then get us the names and we'll start digging for information. If someone did this, we'll need to figure out the link between his victims."

Ron had been gazing at the chess board contemplatively. He looked over at Draco and hesitated, clearly wanting to say something.

"Spit it out Weasley," Draco encouraged, lazily drawing circles on Hermione's back with his fingertips.

Ron glanced at Harry and then back at Draco. "Do you think some of your contacts might have information?" he asked, looking apologetic.

Draco stiffened and his expression turned dark. "If you think..." he began in a hiss.

"No!" Ron blurted, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. "I know you wouldn't hurt Hermione. And I know that you wouldn't associate with someone that would harm her." He paused, relieved to see Draco's posture relax. "I just mean that you do have some contacts with dark pasts. And those contacts have contacts... I'm just suggesting that maybe you and your old pals may have an easier time gaining access to some information."

Harry nodded slowly. "We've got plenty of sources," he commented, "but we're gonna need everything we can get."

Draco heaved a put-upon sigh and looked down at Hermione. "Alright, I'll do some discreet asking around," he said, looking between Harry and Ron. "Pansy, I'm sure, would be glad to get information for you. I'll ask Blaise to keep an ear out as well."

Harry frowned. "Why Blaise?" he asked.

Draco wrinkled his nose slightly and rolled his eyes. "He's a shameless gossip," he said. "Worse than Pansy," he added with a smirk. Hermione giggled while Harry, Ron and Severus groaned.


	6. Love Is In The Air... Or Maybe In That Little Bottle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter does contain some smut. Nothing overly graphic, but it is there.   
> There's also some humor to break up some of the heaviness of this fic.

Hermione hated being idle. The most infuriating thing about her illness, thus far, was feeling her control over her own body slip. Some days were better than others, but as the weeks went by, there was no denying that the disease was wearing her down. She was forced to rest frequently and she had resigned herself to allowing her friends to help her.

Healer Abbott had been happy to allow Hermione to continue to work at St. Mungos. Her duties had to be altered a great deal to limit her mostly to research. She saw patients only when she accompanied Draco for especially difficult cases. This, of course, included the unexplained illnesses that they hoped to link to Hermione's condition.

Hermione hadn't been happy with the idea of having her job reduced to such an extent. She was an excellent healer, but she didn't have the stamina to do that job as she had before. It didn't help that the persistent numbness in her hands caused her to drop her wand on occasion. Draco seemed to understand her frustration and was quick to ask for her opinion on all the cases. He was determined to show her that she was needed. Hermione didn't need or want to be coddled; But Draco was so eager to include her as much as he could... She didn't have the heart to complain about it.

Blaise, Theo and Greg took their roles as supportive new friends fairly seriously. One evening, they showed up at Grimmauld Place with Pansy, carrying various paper bags with them. Harry had greeted them at the door, peering at the bags curiously. "What's going on?" Harry asked them.

"We heard Granger took a tumble," Theo said seriously, his brow creased with a frown.

Harry sighed and nodded. That had been a terrifying experience. Hermione had been coming down the stairs and lost her balance, falling down the stairs. She hit her head and had sustained a few bruises and sprains. Mercifully, the only fracture was one to her wrist. Apollo had been unable to stop her fall and remained at her side anxiously barking for help. Draco had been horrified at the sight of her crumpled form at the foot of the stairs. He'd carefully assessed the damage and summoned Severus for the potions that were needed, his hands trembling the entire time.

"It's not been a pleasant afternoon," Harry said, shuddering at the memory. "Draco is still a bit shaken."

"Understandable," Blaise commented sympathetically. "We've brought a few things to cheer them up."

Harry smiled and motioned for them to follow him into the sitting room. They found Draco sitting on one end of the couch with Hermione's head against his chest. He was holding her close and stroking her hair gently. She was sitting sideways on the couch with her legs in Severus' lap. Severus was massaging a salve into her calf muscles while the three of them talked quietly. Ron was sitting at a chess board, apparently waiting for Harry to return. Ginny and Narcissa were chatting while Scorpius sat on Ginny's lap.

Blaise looked over the scene with a faint smile. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen Snape look so comfortable. But, it was Draco's expression that gave him pause. Every time Hermione spoke, Draco gazed down at her face with such tender affection. Periodically, Draco reached out to gently stroke his fingers over the bandages around her left wrist. Blaise didn't think he'd ever seen such loving behavior from his friend.

"What are we to do with you Granger?" Blaise asked, drawing everyone's attention. "Not very nice to scare everyone like that." He peered at her with a smirk.

Draco was about to snap at Blaise for being so callous, but he remained quiet when Hermione let out an amused huff of breath. "My apologies," Hermione said wryly. "I didn't intend to be so inconsiderate."

Greg chuckled and Theo grinned broadly. Blaise nodded his apparent approval, winking at her. "Since you apologized so prettily," Blaise said, ignoring Draco's eye roll, "we'll let you have your presents." Blaise gestured to the large paper bag that he had clutched against his side. "We have amazing Italian food here." He pointed to Theo's bag. "Delicious pastries there." Finally, he pointed to Greg's bag. "Actual presents," he said with a smile.

"That's very sweet," Hermione said. "Really, it's not necessary. I'm fine."

"We wanted you to feel better," Greg said helpfully.

"Isn't that a friend thing?" Theo asked pointedly.

Hermione couldn't argue with that so she smiled. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

Pansy patted Blaise on the shoulder fondly before walking closer to the couch. She shook her head with a smile. "You've got to tell me your secret," Pansy giggled. "I can understand Draco falling for you. But, how the bloody hell did you convince Snape to give you a massage?" Even Severus chuckled at that comment.

Harry, Ron and Blaise got dinner set up on the table before calling everyone to sit down. The food was delicious and for a little while the only sounds were the clinking of silverware against plates and Scorpius humming happily as he ate.

Harry took a sip of his wine and cleared his throat. "Blaise, I was hoping you could help us with something," he said.

Blaise set down his glass and focused on Harry. "What can I do for you?" he asked seriously.

"We have reason to believe that Hermione's condition was a deliberate attack," Harry told him.

Blaise's eyes darted to Hermione and then back to Harry in alarm. "You think someone did this to her?" he demanded.

"We are quickly becoming more certain of it," Draco said grimly. "We've identified six people aside from Hermione with illnesses that I've never seen in a witch or wizard. All different illnesses, but I feel certain that there's a link between them. We've got to figure out what's going on."

"So, what do you need me for?" Blaise asked uncertainly.

"Information," Ron answered. "Anything that might help us narrow our search a bit."

"Once we find the culprit, we can figure out why and how they did it," Harry explained. "And that may make it possible for Draco to cure Hermione."

Blaise swallowed the pasta that he'd been chewing and nodded. "Then of course I'll help," he said with a shrug. "I'll also check with my coworkers to see if they've heard anything strange. Someone inflicted these illnesses in such a way that the healers can't find the cause is not child's play. Whatever they've done must be advanced magic."

Blaise was an Unspeakable, and was obviously unable to discuss what went on in the Department of Mysteries. However, if someone had developed a method to inflict these illnesses, they had to know. He honestly hoped that the Unspeakables had no knowledge of the situation. He hated to think that there was a ministry department capable of virtually crippling the entire wizard population.

"How long ago did this start?" Blaise asked Hermione, settling back in his chair thoughtfully.

"A little over eight months ago," Hermione said.

"Right around the time that the other patients started displaying symptoms," Draco added, setting his fork down so he could tuck one of Hermione's curls behind her ear.

Blaise looked between them wearing a contemplative frown. After a moment, he turned his head and pointed at Harry, pursing his lips. "You still have your invisibility cloak?" Blaise asked.

Harry blinked in surprise. "How'd you know about that?" he asked suspiciously. "It's not common knowledge."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "You Gryffindors were not nearly as subtle as you thought you were," he commented, grinning when Severus smirked and nodded once in agreement. "And back to the point..." Blaise said, giving Harry a pointed look.

Harry gave an exasperated sigh. "Yes, I still have it," he said. "Why?"

Blaise looked pleased. "I may have a plan," he replied, lifting his glass to his lips with a mischievous smile. "But we'll get to that later." He reached down next to his chair and lifted one of the paper bags. "Presents first."

The bag was passed across the table to Draco and Hermione watched as he began to pull out four beautifully wrapped packages. Hermione opened the first package and smiled when she found books. She glanced over the titles with a grin. "Muggle classics," she commented looking over at Blaise.

"I've actually read 'The Count of Monte Cristo' and thought you'd like it," Blaise responded with a shrug. "And the muggle woman in the bookstore insisted that not including the works of Jane Austen would be a mistake."

Hermione laughed softly, turning her attention to the other presents. The second box contained a collection of sweets from Honeydukes. The third held packages of magical tea that boasted a soothing flavor and relaxing properties. The final gift contained three bottles of liquid. Hermione lifted one of the bottles and peered at the label curiously. "Massage oil?" she asked, smirking when Draco made a strange, almost choking, sound.

Theo nodded, grinning mischievously. "That was my idea," he said proudly.

Hermione bit her lip, and lifted another bottle to find that it was lavendar scented lotion of a very high quality. The third bottle made her blush instantly. Draco looked at the label and blushed as well.

Severus leaned closer to Hermione to get a better look at the bottle. He promptly burst into surprised laughter. Theo, Blaise and Greg started chuckling as well.

"What on earth?" Narcissa asked, eyeing Severus with amazement. "What it it?"

Severus managed to calm himself enough to reply, in a slightly strangled voice, "Personal lubricant."

Harry snorted and buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Ginny slapped on hand over her mouth but couldn't suppress her giggles.

Ron frowned. "Personal lubri- Oh what the hell?" he bellowed as realization dawned.

"Oh sweet Salazar," Pansy said, wrapping her arms around her stomach as she dissolved into helpless giggles.

Draco heaved an irritable sigh. "Really?" he asked, scowling at Blaise, Theo and Greg. "In front of my new girlfriend and my mother?"

"Sorry mate," Theo said with a grin that indicated he was, in fact, not sorry at all.

"I'm sure Granger can appreciate preparedness," Blaise said, smirking wickedly.

"I hate all of you," Draco said flatly. He looked over at his mother. He opened his mouth but remained silent when she held up one hand.

"It's quite alright," Narcissa said primly. "Your friends were being crass but no harm done." She paused, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly. "Just please don't use that at the table," she said, giving the bottle still clutched in Hermione's hand a pointed look.

Hermione squeaked in embarrassment, stuffing the bottle back into the box. Draco groaned, sinking a bit lower in his chair. The others cackled gleefully.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That evening, Hermione sat down on her bed after changing into her pajamas. Draco sat behind her, carefully running a brush through her long curls. Hermione was capable of accomplishing the task herself, but it had become uncomfortable. She was happy to surrender her brush to Draco that evening and sighed with contentment from the pleasant sensation.

After a few minutes, Draco set the brush down and ran his fingers through her hair. Satisfied that he'd removed any tangles, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. "Did you enjoy that?" he asked, pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.

"Very much," she replied with a smile. "I haven't had someone else brush my hair in ages. It's very relaxing."

Draco smiled and moved to stand next to the bed. He bent over to grab something and stood up to reveal the massage oil. "Care to test this out?" he asked with a grin.

Hermione blushed but nodded shyly. She and Draco hadn't gone beyond snogging at that point. Draco had been so patient and had resisted initiating intimacy with her. She was eager to see where the massage would go. "What do you want me to do?" she asked lightly.

"Kneel on the bed and take your top off," he instructed, his voice sounding a bit rougher than usual. He cleared his throat quietly. "Then lie down on your stomach." He watched as she complied silently. He bit his lip and took in the sight of the skin on her back and a tantalizing peek at the side of her left breast. He waited while she tugged her hair around to rest over one shoulder.

Draco climbed back onto the bed and straddled Hermione hips, careful to keep his weight off of her. He poured some of the oil into his hands before gently pressing his palms to the soft skin of Hermione's back. He slowly pressed upward, spreading the oil toward her shoulders, before dragging his hands back down to her lower back. He repeated the motion over and over, applying firm but gentle pressure, before kneading the muscles carefully. He grinned when Hermione moaned softly.

After several minutes, he tucked one finger under the waistband of her pajama bottoms and gave a soft tug. "Can I take these off?" Draco asked hopefully. His heart raced when he saw her nod and he slowly pulled the soft fabric down her legs, leaving her silky knickers in place. He bit back a groan of arousal as he applied oil to the backs of her thighs and calves. He was meticulous and kept his movements slow and sensual. The same careful attention was given to the bottoms of her feet.

He was pleased to see that the oil was soaking into Hermione's skin remarkably well. That would make the next part less messy. "Do you want to roll over for me?" he asked softly.

Hermione hesitated and then slowly turned onto her back, finally giving Draco a chance to see her breasts. They weren't especially large, but they suited her slender frame, and Draco seemed happy enough at the sight of them. His gaze quickly swept over her torso, but then he lifted one of her arms and began rubbing the oil into her skin again, ignoring her breasts for the moment. He did the same with her other arm and then stroked over her shoulders and collar bone. He hesitated, his fingers ceasing their teasing circles over her skin.

Draco didn't want to push his luck. He was aching to touch her more intimately, but he wasn't willing to scare her away. She'd been through a lot and he was willing to take things slowly. He was stunned when she gently wrapped her hands around his wrists and slowly pulled his hands down to her breasts.

Draco caressed her breasts reverently, squeezing them gently. He was greatly encouraged by Hermione's blissful sigh. Draco met her gaze and slowly lowered his head, to her chest. He caught one of her nipples in his mouth, sucking lightly. She moaned and it was music to his ears. He switched to her other breast, circling her nipple with his tongue teasingly.

He pulled away and smiled when he saw that her face was flushed with arousal. He lowered his hands to her abdomen and continued the massage, stubbornly ignoring his erection. He moved down to her legs, stroking and massaging. He grinned wickedly as he slowly caressed her inner thigh, slowly sliding his hands up and then stopping just before he reached her most intimate place. He chuckled darkly when she gave an impatient huff.

"You missed a spot," Hermione told him, sounding a bit breathless.

"Indeed?" Draco asked, looking up to meet her heated gaze.

Hermione nodded, dipping her fingers into the waistband of her knickers and tugging at the elastic pointedly. Draco suppressed a moan and slid her knickers down her legs. He tossed them over his shoulder and eagerly took in the sight of Hermione's naked body. He was thrilled when she smiled and beckoned his closer. Draco shifted and stretched out on the bed next to her, finally pressed his mouth to hers. He cupped her face in his hands and deepened the kiss, languidly exploring the depths of her mouth.

Hermione took one of his hands and guided it to drift down her body and settle between her legs. She grinned when Draco groaned and slid his fingers into her. "I think you're overdressed," she told him, laughing softly when his eyes widened.

"You're going to kill me," Draco said, though he sounded quite happy about it. He moved away to remove his own clothing before hastily climbing back into bed with her. His hands returned to pleasing her while he pressed soft kisses up and down her neck. His erection was pressed against her thigh and it took all of his willpower not to thrust against her. She was so warm and wet.

Hermione was dizzy with arousal. She pulled at Draco anxiously. "Please," she begged. "I want you now."

Draco drew in a steadying breath. He shifted until he was between her parted thighs. Slowly, he lowered himself to press against her and slid into her warmth. "Oh Merlin," he gasped, overwhelmed with pleasure. He held very still for a moment, desperate to calm down. Once he was sure that he wouldn't embarrass himself in an instant, he slowly began thrusting into her.

Hemione moaned at the delicious friction and the pleasant fullness. Draco exhaled a shaky breath against her lips and then kissed her. His tongue slid against her while he pumped into her, his hand stroking her thigh before coming to rest on her hip. His other hand cradled the back of her head as he held himself up on his forearm. Hermione wanted to weep at the tenderness in every touch. 

Draco didn't last as long as he would have hoped, but he was pleased that he'd brought Hermione to orgasm first. He rolled on his side, panting from the exertion. Hermione rolled over to face him, blinking sleepily at him. "Are you alright?" Draco asked softly, his fingertips brushing her hair away from her face.

"Of course," she replied quietly, smiling when he pulled her close to kiss her. "That was lovely."

"It was," Draco agreed with a grin. His smile faded a bit as he looked at her. He swallowed tightly and reached down to lift her hand and kiss her fingers. "I love you," he said solemnly. "I know it's a little soon," he added when he saw her eyes widen. "I've had feelings for you since Hogwarts. Once our paths crossed again, it didn't take much for me to fall for you."

Hermione laughed and lurched forward to kiss him. "I love you too," she murmured against his lips. "So much."

Draco sighed with contentment, allowing Hermione to snuggle against him. He drifted to sleep, knowing that he'd do whatever it would take to keep her alive and at his side.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You're looking well shagged."

Draco's head jerked up and he glared at Pansy. At the opposite end of the table, Harry and Ginny were snorting into their cups of tea.

"Did she enjoy her massage?" Pansy asked, grinning.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Yes, she did," he replied shortly.

"Wonderful," Pansy said with nod. "The poor dear needed to relax." She paused and then went on in a deceptively sweet tone. "How did she like the personal lubricant?"

"She didn't need it," Draco snapped irritably, a blush creeping onto his cheeks.

A high pitched giggle escaped Ginny and Harry sprayed tea all over the surface of the table. Pansy gave an approving nod and said "Well done," causing Ginny and Harry to laugh even harder. Pansy cleaned up the tea with a lazy flick of her wand. "I'm assuming that's why she's still in bed. You must have really worn her out."

Draco sneered at Pansy. "What are you doing here?" he growled.

Pansy took a dainty sip of her tea and then smiled mischievously. "I'm the reason Weasley is still in bed," she said with a wink.

There was a moment of stunned silence. Ginny recovered her voice first.

"No!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Oh yes," Pansy said, looking extraordinarily pleased with herself. "Everyone else left or went to bed, so we were alone. We were just talking and then one thing led to another... Next thing I know, we're in his bed and I'm riding him like my life depends on it."

Draco shuddered at the idea and Harry wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Spare us the details," Ginny said with a frown.

"Fine, fine," Pansy said airily, waving one hand dismissively.

A moment later, Ron walked into the room and froze when he saw Pansy sitting at the table. His eyes darted to Harry and Ginny and he blushed. "Good morning," he muttered.

"I'll bet it is," Draco grumbled, rolling his eyes. Harry snorted with laughter again.

Ron sputtered and the whirled around to face Pansy. "Did you have to tell them?" he asked, his voice higher than normal.

Pansy blinked up at him. "Was it a secret?" she asked with as much innocence as she could muster, which wasn't much.

Ron sighed. "No," he replied, pouting a bit.

"Good," Pansy said cheerfully, motioning for him to sit next to her.

Draco shook his head and left the table to make a cup of coffee for Hermione. He was surprised when Harry followed him. "Need something?" Draco asked stiffly, focusing on preparing Hermione's coffee.

"Just need to make something clear," Harry said seriously. He watched Draco for a moment and then leaned against the counter. "I know your wife's death was very painful," he began, he paused at the warning glare Draco shot at him. "Hear me out," Harry said calmly. "I only want to say that I don't want Hermione to get hurt because you're trying to temporarily fill a void."

Draco pushed the cup aside slightly and rested his hands against the counter top. He met Harry's gaze with a heavy sigh. "Look Potter," Draco said, "I don't want Hermione to get hurt either. I love her and I'm going to do everything I can to keep her."

Harry's mouth dropped open in surprise. "You love her?" he asked.

"I said I did, didn't I?" Draco asked impatiently.

"Well, yes," Harry responded slowly. "I'm just... really surprised."

"I expect that to remain between us for now," Draco said sternly. "It's not a secret exactly, but I don't want those nosy sods going on about it before Hermione and I have talked about it." He looked down at his hands for a moment. "I just told her last night, but then we fell asleep. I don't want her to feel overwhelmed."

"I won't say a word," Harry assured him. He paused and then smiled, reaching out to squeeze Draco's shoulder. "I'm happy for you." He was pleased to see Draco's lips curve into a delighted grin.

Draco picked up the coffee cup and carried it upstairs to Hermione's room. He pushed the door open and found that she was pushing herself into a seated position. "Good morning Darling," Draco said, approaching the bed. He leaned in to kiss her lips softly. He set her coffee on the table by the bed before offering her his hands. He helped her out of the bed and wrapped her in his arms, enjoying the warmth of having her body against his. He could see the fatigue on her face despite the sweet smile she offered him. "You look tired," he commented, kissing the top of her head.

"I am," Hermione confirmed with a little sigh. "But I feel relaxed, so that's something," she added, happy to let Draco hold her for the moment.

"Would you like for me to tell you something rather funny?" Draco asked.

Hermione leaned away from him so she could look up at his face. His eyes twinkled with amusement and mischief. "Do tell," she said curiously.

"Pansy and Weasley shagged last night," he told her, chuckling when her eyes widened in shock. "Of course, she told us just after she had deduced that you and I had..." he trailed off, blushing slightly.

"Oh no," Hermione groaned. "Were they difficult?" she asked, looking away in embarrassment.

"They had a good laugh," Draco responded, rolling his eyes. "But, I think Potter will keep them in line for you. I spoke with him alone before I came up here."

Hermione met Draco's eyes shyly. "You did?" she asked softly.

Draco nodded, swallowing around a suddenly dry throat. "He was worried about you, so I told him how I feel about you," he said quietly, his eyes fixed on Hermione's. "We don't have to talk about it until you're ready, and Potter will be discrete."

Hermione smiled, reaching up to rest her hands against Draco's shoulders. "Tell me again," she whispered.

Draco laughed and pulled her closer, resting his forehead against hers. "I love you Hermione," he told her.

"And I love you," she responded, smiling brightly. "And I don't care who knows it." She giggled when he promptly kissed her enthusiastically.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blaise presented his plan that evening with Harry's help. The Unspeakables had developed a time turner that would go back further in time. Harry and Blaise had met with the Head of the Department of Mysteries and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to discuss the investigation. Harry managed to convince the two Heads that the entire wizarding population was at risk. With the understanding that Blaise would maintain control of the time turner, the Head's had agreed to allow them to work together.

They planned to go back in time to observe Hermione, hoping to discover who had caused her illness. Hermione had been alarmed when they told her about it, insisting that they must not meddle with the past. Harry was quick to assure her that they only wanted to observe, not make changes. That's where the invisibility cloak came in. Hermione was still apprehensive, but Harry and Blaise were determined.

"This is our best chance to get information," Harry said firmly, his eyes intent on Hermione's face.

"It's a huge risk," Hermione argued. She turned to look at Draco with a frown. "You can't possibly be thinking of agreeing to this. It's reckless!"

Draco squeezed Hermione's hand. "I'm sorry Love, but I'm with Potter on this one," he said apologetically. "Your MS is getting worse and you're getting weaker. We don't have the time for a lengthy investigation. We need answers as fast as we can possibly get them." His stomach clenched at the sight of her dejected expression.

Blaise looked at the couple's miserable faces and then went over to wedge himself between them on the couch. He ignored Draco's grumbling and put one arm around Hermione. "We'll be very careful," Blaise said seriously. "We're going to get you all sorted out." He reached out to put his other arm around Draco, while grinning at Hermione. "You've managed to make this miserable sod happy, so we need to keep you around."

Hermione giggled softly while Draco rolled his eyes. "Just be careful," Hermione said with a little sigh of resignation.

"Of course," Blaise nodded. "Potter and I will go back the first time. Once we get a feel for it, we'll bring Draco along."

Draco wasn't pleased about being left out of the first trip to the past but, since Hermione seemed comforted by the plan, he didn't argue. He knew Blaise and Harry would be careful and thorough. The most important thing was finding a way to make Hermione and the other patients well again.

Blaise stood up and approached Harry tugging a time turner out of one of the inside pockets of his robes. He held the time turner up, the long chain swaying slightly with the movement. "Shall we go?" he asked, looking at Harry expectantly.

Harry motioned for Blaise to follow him as he lead the way through the front door. Once outside, the two men shuffled closer together so Blaise could place the chain around both of their necks. They applied disillusionment charms before huddling under the invisibility cloak, just as an extra security measure.

"Hold on to me," Blaise said, holding his arm out for Harry to hold on. Once he felt Harry grasp his forearm, Blaise turned and apparated them away. The moment they landed at their destination, Blaise activated the time turner while Harry tried to figure out where they were. Harry squeezed his eyes shot as everything seemed to blur around them.

"Here we are," Blaise muttered quietly.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, careful to keep his arm against Blaise since they couldn't see one another.

"Malfoy Manor," Blaise answered gesturing at the building they were situated next to. He heard Harry's sharp intake of breath. "I just had to see," Blaise said quietly. He grasped Harry's arm and led them over to a window.

Harry looked around, noting the perfectly manicured lawn. He craned his neck back to look up at the expansive manor, the pristine white walls gleaming in the light of the afternoon sun. He peered through the window that Blaise was nudging him toward and frowned as he spotted Draco. He was puzzled for a brief moment before he reminded himself that they had just traveled into the past and that this Draco was from approximately eight months ago.

Draco was seated at a long dining table with a plate of untouched food in front of him. The window was ajar and a cool breeze slipped into the room, ruffling his slightly disheveled blond hair. He looked exhausted and his eyes held a sadness that tugged at Harry's heart. Draco glanced up as Narcissa entered the room.

"Scorpius is asleep," Narcissa said quietly, eyeing Draco with concern. "You haven't eaten a single bite."

Draco pushed the plate away, a grimace twisting his features momentarily. "I'm not hungry," he said flatly.

Narcissa frowned. "You can't keep doing this to yourself," she said gently, placing one hand on Draco's shoulder. She looked ready to cry when he winced slightly at the contact. "Scorpius needs you. I know it hurts but you can't just give up. I think you might feel better if you start working again."

Draco hesitated and then reached up to hold the hand that still rested on his shoulder. "Just give me some time," he said softly, meeting his mother's worried gaze. "I'll contact Saint Mungos and see if they'd be willing to hire me." He held perfectly still as she leaned over and kissed his forehead and turned away. Before she left the room, Harry had seen a few tears slip from her eyes. Glancing back at Draco, he saw that the blond had his face buried in his hands.

Blaise backed away from the window, bringing Harry with him. "I wanted to see," Blaise said softly. "Pansy said that Draco had been bad off... He looked completely broken."

"I imagine he was," Harry said sadly.

"But you healed him," Blaise went on thoughtfully. "I knew that you lot were important for him, but I had no idea..." He was silent for a moment. "I'm not sure he'll survive losing Granger," he commented.

"My thoughts exactly," Harry agreed, glancing back toward the window. Seeing Draco Malfoy in such a state was heartbreaking.

Blaise caught hold of Harry's arm again. "Take us back to your place," Blaise said evenly. "We've got work to do."

Harry smiled slightly at Blaise's renewed determination. The thought of losing Hermione made Harry's heart ache, but he'd also seen the way Draco looked at Hermione. "So let's go save Hermione and Draco," he said just before he turned and apparated himself and Blaise back to Grimmauld Place.


	7. The Ex-Lover

Only five minutes had passed for Hermione and Draco when Blaise and Harry walked back into the house. "How did it go?" Draco asked, quickly getting to his feet.

"Uneventful," Harry sighed, folding up his invisibility cloak to avoid meeting Draco's eyes. Draco didn't need to know that he and Blaise had seen Draco in the past, crushed with grief. Draco didn't need that reminder and Harry truly didn't wish to remember the devastation in past-Draco's eyes.

"We didn't expect much this time around," Blaise said, noting Hermione's disappointed expression.

Draco gave Hermione's hand a gentle squeeze. "That's right, Love," he agreed. "You can't get discouraged yet. Why don't you go rest for a bit?" he suggested lightly. "I thought you might like to spend some time with Scorpius later."

Hermione smiled and nodded, leaning close to kiss Draco softly. "Come Apollo," she said, looking over to where the dog had been resting. Apollo got to his feet and moved quickly to Hermione's side. He stood still while Hermione place one hand on his back to steady herself as she stood up. Once she was upright, Apollo walked with her out of the room and up the stairs, staying close enough for her legs to brush lightly against his side as she walked.

"A service dog," Blaise muttered, shaking his head with a smile. "It's such a muggle thing, but it's very clever." He turned to Draco, his smile fading. "I have a confession to make."

Draco frowned. "What have you done?" he asked warily.

Blaise glanced at Harry. Harry sat down on one of the chairs, looking rather unsettled. Blaise sighed, shifting his gaze back to Draco with a guilty expression. "We went to the Manor," he admitted reluctantly. "Eight months in the past, that is."

Draco's posture became rigid. "Why?" he snapped with a glare.

Blaise sighed again. "Pansy told me that you'd been having a tough time," he said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Draco flinched before glaring again. "What difference does it make?" he growled.

Blaise expression was pained. "I didn't understand how much you had been suffering," he explained. "Now I can appreciate how much Granger, Potter and the Weasley's mean to you."

"Alright, don't get all emotional," Draco grumbled, shifting uncomfortably. He glanced between Harry and Blaise. "You're a nosy pair of sods, but I'm grateful that you chose not to mention this in front of Hermione."

"No reason to upset her unnecessarily ," Harry said quietly.

"We weren't trying to stir things up," Blaise said quickly. "I wouldn't have mentioned it, Potter felt guilty for seeing you in such a vulnerable state."

Draco huffed out an irritable breath. He knew very well that the detour to the manor had been Blaise's idea. "It's quite alright Harry," Draco sighed. "I appreciate the concern. I prefer to focus on the present and future now," he added quietly.

Harry watched Draco for a moment, not wanting to see crushing sadness sweep over the blond's features again. "I'm glad you're happy now," he said.

A faint blush crept into Draco's face. "I never expected to fall for Hermione so quickly," he admitted, glancing at Blaise. "But, I can't bear the thought of being without her now."

Blaise nodded in approval. "Then we'll help you keep her," he said firmly. "Give us twenty four hours to recover and we'll take another trip to the past. This sort of time travel is exhausting." He patted Draco on the shoulder and shot Harry a tired smile.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Welcome back to another Hogwarts night!" Seamus cried. He was standing on the stage of "Mischief Managed" looking out over the crowd of patrons. There were more people this time and the newcomers were looking rather uncertain. Everyone was dressed in their altered school uniforms, the crest on their robes declaring what house they had belonged to. The former Slytherins that were new to the pub were staring up at Seamus with suspicion while keeping a close eye on a particularly rowdy group of Gryffindors.

Near the stage sat a large table where Hermione was seated with Harry, Ron and Ginny. Severus edged past most of his former students and headed to the table, pulling Minerva McGonagall behind him. Severus sat down next to Hermione, muttering a greeting as his eyes darted around the room. Hermione responded with a smile before reaching out to grasp Minerva's outstretched hand.

"We have quite a crowd tonight and many of you missed out on our first Hogwarts night," Seamus went on, beaming at the faces tilted up to watch him. "In the name of unity and making friends, all four Hogwarts houses have been invited to come and have a great time. There's a discount on drinks and the food is great." He glanced over his shoulder as Draco and the rest of the band stepped onto the stage, all wearing their school robes. "We have truly fantastic music for you. So, let me introduce..." He tugged a white card out of the pocket of his trousers and peered down at it. "The Snake Pit!" Seamus cried, gesturing dramatically to the band.

Draco, who had been drinking from a glass of water, narrowly avoided spraying the stage and audience. He swallowed and whirled to shoot Seamus an incredulous look.

Seamus held his hands up in a show of innocence. "I just read the card, mate" he said, shifting his gaze pointedly at Pansy.

Draco rolled his eyes. "The Snake Pit?" he growled at Pansy as he tugged off his robes. Some of the people in the audience were chuckling.

Pansy was completely unapologetic. "You didn't like the last name I picked," she retorted, removing her own robes. She looked over at Ron and winked, her fingertips brushing the hem of her short skirt. Ron looked ready to pounce on her, but remained in his seat.

Draco shot Pansy another dirty look before approaching the edge of the stage and kneeling. He beckoned Hermione forward with a flirtatious smile and eyed her form as she approached. "Mind holding onto this Love?" he asked, handing her his robes. He carelessly pushed the sleeves of his crisp white shirt to his elbows, leaving his faded dark mark on display. Once satisfied, he ran one finger along Hermione's jaw. "Feeling alright?" he asked her, kissing her forehead.

"So far," she replied with a smile.

Draco smiled and watched her return to her seat. He stood up and eyed the crowd, noting that the Slytherins were looking at Hermione in surprise. Looking around, Draco could see the a few members of the other three houses were looking a bit shocked by the exchange as well.

"Let's get started," Draco said. "To help everyone relax," he said, gesturing vaguely at a group of Gryffindors that were glaring at him with mistrust, "we'll bring up a friend of mine. Harry?" he asked, with a polite incline of his head.

Harry grinned sheepishly but hurried onto the stage to stand next to Draco. Draco turned his back to the crowd to look at Theo who was waiting patiently at the drums. At Draco's signal, Theo began to play and the others joined in quickly. The music had a driving rhythm and it didn't take long for the crowd to begin dancing. Harry and Draco sang together while Draco's fingers danced over the strings of his guitar.

"Draco's even better than last time!" Ginny shouted over the music. She grinned at Hermione. "You seem to have a great effect on him."

Harry remained on stage for a few more songs. He didn't normally like the attention but he'd had a few drinks with Draco beforehand and was feeling rather relaxed. It helped that Draco was quite comfortable on the stage, cracking jokes and telling stories between songs. He kept his audience captivated with a wink and an occasional provocative roll of his hips. When Harry was finally able to return to his seat, his face was slightly flushed but he looked exhilarated.

By the end of the night, Draco was exhausted and his throat was sore. The rest of the band looked warn out as well. Greg was massaging his wrist, grimacing at the twinge of pain from keeping his hand curled around the neck of a bass guitar for so long. Theo was panting and sweating. Blaise and Pansy were fanning their faces and yawning.

Draco offered Hermione a tired smile when she approached, followed by Minerva and Severus. Her other friends were still seated at the table. She handed Draco a glass of water patting his chest lightly with one hand. She spotted Greg and waved him over, frowning at him.

"Don't worry about me Granger," Greg said lightly. "I'm just a little sore. Happens all the time."

"Don't be silly," Hermione chided, gently taking hold of his arm. "No sense in suffering needlessly." She pulled out her wand and tapped it against his wrist. She could feel his skin grow very warm for a moment and then she felt him relax. "There now. All better," she chirped, releasing his arm as he smiled his thanks.

"Mr. Malfoy, I had no idea that you were so talented," Minerva said, peering at Draco over the rim of her glasses. "That goes for the rest of you as well," she added, glancing at the other Slytherins.

"Thank you," Draco said, gathering Hermione into his arms for a hug. "It's nice to be able to play in front of a crowd. We weren't able to do that before."

Minerva nodded, a frown suddenly tugging her mouth downward. "I'm glad I was able to hear you," she said carefully. "But I have another reason for wanting to see you." She paused, glancing at Hermione. "I'm aware of your condition. I've heard that there's an ongoing investigation into the mysterious circumstances of your illness and the illnesses of several others."

Draco scowled, his grip on Hermione tightening slightly. "That isn't common knowledge," he said, barely keeping his tone civil.

"Calm yourself," Severus said firmly. "Kingsley didn't disclose everything, but he did urge her to reach out to us."

"Five students are sick," Minerva said hastily. "Poppy doesn't know what to make of it."

"Why haven't they been sent to St. Mungos?" Hermione asked.

Minerva sighed heavily. "We didn't understand how serious this was," she said. "I was going to send them once we realized that Poppy couldn't help them, but Kingsley insisted that I speak with you."

"Five more cases," Hermione said softly, looking up at Draco. "And they're children. What are we going to do?" she asked, struggling to keep calm.

"You," Draco said firmly, "are going to stay calm. I'm going to need your help, but you can't help anyone if you let anxiety take over. You know it only makes it worse," he added softly, kissing her temple. He felt her take a deep breath and nodded his approval. "I hate that children are involved, but we can use this to our advantage." He looked back at Minerva expectantly. "Would tomorrow be alright?" he asked. "We can meet with Poppy and the affected students at ten."

Minerva thanked them and hurried away. Draco watched her leave before his eyes shifted and locked with Harry's. Whatever expression that rested on Draco's face was enough to bring Harry and Ron rushing to his side.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning was hectic. Narcissa had a charity function to attend, so Draco had arrived at Grimmauld Place with Scorpius in tow. He had hoped that Ginny would be willing to keep Scorpius, but the red-head was off with the Harpies again.

"I haven't been able to get in touch with Pansy," Draco said, shifting Scorpius in his arms.

"She's meeting a new client today," Ron said over his teacup. "She has the opportunity to design a new wardrobe for a French Ministry official. Apparently it's a big deal," he added with a slight shrug.

"Damn it," Draco growled.

"We'll just have to take him with us," Hermione soothed, reaching out to take Scorpius.

"Mine!" Scorpius said happily.

"No, come on Scorp," Ron groaned with a chuckle. He moved closer to look at the child fondly. "I tried to teach him to say your name," he told Hermione with a grin. "I was trying for 'Mione', but well..." he trailed off, gesturing at Scorpius. "Come on, say Hermione," he encouraged the little boy.

Scorpius frowned at Ron, looking even more like his father. "No," he said, lifting a finger to point at Ron. His frown melted into a delighted smile when Hermione laughed. "Mine," he said again, snuggling into Hermione's arms.

Harry watched the scene with a grin. His eyes darted to Draco to find that the blond was wearing a sappy, and rather smitten, smile. "We'll all help with Scorpius," Harry said lightly. "I'm sure McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey would love to see him."

With that decided, they apparated to the gates of Hogwarts. Minerva was waiting for them and let them in, offering a tense but welcoming smile. The headmistress paused when she saw Draco and the bundle in his arms. With a smile, he tugged at the blanket to reveal a head of pale blond hair and a round little face with fair skin.

"Oh my goodness," Minerva said, her eyes wide. "He looks just like you."

"He does," Draco agreed with a laugh. "This is my son, Scorpius. I was unable to find anyone to watch him at the last moment..."

Minerva waved away the explanation. "No need," she said firmly. "I appreciate your willingness to help and your son is most welcome here." She led them across the grounds and into the castle, making her way to the hospital wing.

Harry and Ron entertained Scorpius while Hermione and Draco examined the students. After a several diagnostic spells and quick tests, Hermione's concern was growing. Each student had a different problem.

"Diabetes..." Draco muttered, looking at the numbers that Hermione and scribbled down from one of the blood samples. "What the hell are we to do with Diabetes?" he hissed, glancing to his left to make sure the students didn't overhear.

"I don't know," Hermione muttered, drumming her fingers against the table. She pointed at one sheet of parchment where she had recorded more test results. "Rheumatoid Arthritis," she said softly. "And I think Miss Watson has Hashimotos, but I need to run one more thyroid test in our lab to confirm." She sighed, glancing over at the students. They looked uncomfortable and frightened. "At least it's not MS," she commented.

Draco shuddered. "One case of MS is enough," he said, reaching out to stroke her cheek. "Let's go back home and run more tests. Then we can work out if there's any treatment we can offer."

Once Draco had explained their plan of action, Harry and Ron passed off the baby to do some work of their own. They questioned each of the students, hoping the students would have some insight on how they became sick. The young witches and wizards didn't really have an answers to that. Harry and Ron had to settle for documenting everything that each student could remember about their whereabouts and activities eight months prior. They quickly discovered the symptoms had started only two months ago.

The group returned to Grimmauld Place feeling frustrated. Draco summoned Severus and they went to the lab that Hermione had set up in the attic to run a few more tests. After three hours, they went back downstairs and dropped into chairs in the living room. Hermione yawned and tugged a large book into her lap, flipping through the pages pensively. Harry was relaxed on the couch with Scorpius who was sound asleep. Ron was scowling down at the notes they'd taken thus far for the investigation.

"I could sleep for days," Draco groaned, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Severus nodded his agreement. "There must be common ground," he muttered. "We must be missing the connection."

"I don't see how they could be connected," Draco said, his hands dropping to his lap. "Each patient has a different illness. The symptoms are so varied."

Hermione froze, looking over at Draco with wide eyes. Suddenly she gasped and sat up straighter. "Apollo!" she cried, watching as the dog instantly ran into the room and looked at her expectantly. "Go get the book from the table in my room," she commanded.

This was evidently enough information for the dog, and he rushed out of the room and bounded up the stairs. It wasn't long before Apollo returned with a book in his mouth. "Good boy," Hermione muttered, stroking the furry head with one hand while opening the book with the other. Severus and Draco exchanged a bewildered look but said nothing. They didn't want to disrupt Hermione's concentration.

"Oh Merlin," Hermione said with a little gasp. "I've found a connection."

"What?" Draco asked eagerly.

"They're auto-immune diseases," she said, sounding rather stunned. "All of them. It seems obvious now, but I never thought of it that way."

Draco groaned again, covering his face with his hands momentarily before he looked at Hermione. "You're right," he said. "It wasn't clear before because the illnesses were so different." He sighed. "This doesn't make it any easier to make you well though."

"But, it's progress," Harry said helpfully. "We're not done with this investigation."

"And we can make the patients more comfortable," Hermione said. Draco nodded reluctantly.

Severus was looking at Hermione thoughtfully. "How would someone bypass the magic of a witch or wizard to effect the immune system?" he asked slowly.

Hermione shook her head. "I'd never thought about it before," she responded. Seeing Harry's confused expression, she explained further. "Witches and wizards have longer life spans for a few reasons. One reason is that our magical core would normally prevent a dysfunction in the immune system. In my case, my immune system has malfunctioned in a way that causes it to attack my nervous system." She pointed at the folder in Ron's hands. "In every case, the immune system is fighting something that it shouldn't be, causing a great deal of damage."

Ron looked down at the file with a frown. "Like it's been confunded," he muttered. "But, that spell doesn't last long. Even if it did, we'd find evidence of it when you were examined all those months ago."

"Exactly," Hermione agreed grimly.

"This is further proof that this is a deliberate attack," Harry said, shifting Scorpius in his arms. "But, I'm not sure what the goal is. They're attacking people of different nationalities. Men and women. Teenagers and adults. Pureblood, halfblood and muggleborn..." His gaze dropped to Scorpius and then back up to Draco. "I don't think anyone is safe."

Severus glanced at Draco's pained expression and stood up. "So, we know that there has likely been at least two separate 'attacks'," he muttered, pacing to the far end of the room. He turned and walked in the other direction slowly. "Everyone seems to be fair game. The method of attack is unknown, but the apparent focus is to effect the immune system without being detected."

Hermione watched her ex-professor pace back and forth, his rumbling voice soothing her frayed nerves. His calm demeanor helped her focus. "I'd think it would have to be a potion of some kind," she said thoughtfully. "Something that got into the system, did the damage it was meant to do and then moved on. Because it was attacking the immune system, the symptoms didn't manifest immediately. By the time a problem is noticed, the potion is no longer in the body."

Severus paused, looking at Hermione with an unreadable expression. "That has to be it," he said, sounding frustrated. "But, it's nothing I've ever seen."

"Nor I," Draco agreed. "Well, that may help us narrow our search a bit. We're looking for a potions expert."

"Or experts," Harry added. "It could very well be a team."

Draco nodded. "We may want to have a look at healers as well," he suggested. "They knew just how to attack without being detected and left no trace."

Ron looked a bit sick at the idea. "That's disturbing," he commented. "This means we trust no one. Obviously we need Zabini, so I'd recommend questioning under veritaserum. We can't be too careful."

"Theo, Greg and Pansy as well," Draco said reluctantly. He glanced at Hermione and then at Harry. "I need you to question Healer Abbott. We have to be sure about him and we'll need his help accessing to all the patient files. We could have some victims that we aren't aware of yet."

"I'll get authorization from Kingsley and take care of it," Harry assured him.

A few days later, Draco, Harry and Blaise made another trip into the past. Blaise had been a bit irritated when he'd been questioned, but had understood the need for security. He moved past his aggravation quickly in favor of aiding the investigation. They'd gone back in time a few times already and had become adept at observing without being detected.

"Who the bloody hell is that?" Draco hissed.

Harry sighed, glad that he'd put up a few magical barriers so they wouldn't be overheard. They were at a park near Saint Mungos and Hermione was seated on a bench with a book, a cup of coffee held in one hand. Next to her was a handsome wizard that looked far too comfortable with her, as far as Draco was concerned.

"That's Mark," Harry explained quietly. "He dated Hermione for a few months, but she broke it off."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Draco snapped.

Harry rolled his eyes despite knowing that Draco wouldn't be able to see it. "You weren't dating her at the time," Harry reminded him. "You hadn't even started working at Saint Mungos yet. Besides, her ex-boyfriend shouldn't matter. That's the point of the ex."

Blaise made a shushing noise, leaning toward the pair on the park bench.

"I've made reservations a lovely new restaurant," Mark was saying, all smiles and charm. "I think you'll love it."

"Not interested," Hermione said crisply, her eyes never straying from her book.

"And why not?" he asked with forced politeness.

Hermione set her coffee on the bench and turned to look at Mark with narrowed eyes. "I caught you shagging another woman in your flat," she reminded him sternly. "That's a 'deal-breaker' for me. Our relationship is finished."

"I apologized," Mark said impatiently. "Repeatedly. It was a mistake. I love you and I want to work this out."

Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes. "Don't be an idiot," she said bluntly. "You don't love me and I certainly don't love you. That's not a word you toss about just because you got caught doing something stupid."

"Hermione, don't be so stubborn," Mark began.

"No," Hermione said firmly, cutting him off. "This isn't negotiable. Leave. I won't tolerate harassment."

It was at that point that Mark realized that she had one hand in her pocket, and he knew that she had taken hold of her wand. Harry knew that it was only for show; Hermione didn't need a wand in her hand to make Mark regret approaching her and being a pain in the arse.

"I apologize for disturbing you," Mark said, standing up. "Have a pleasant afternoon."

"It was good seeing you Mark," Hermione said, her tone dismissive as she turned back to her book.

"Ruthless," Blaise commented, watching Hermione. "That was oddly arousing."

"Blaise, shut up," Draco grumbled. "So, what about this Mark?"

Harry watched Hermione read for a moment. "I don't know," Harry remarked. "Look at her... She's already got symptoms." As the three men watched, Hermione looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers with an anxious frown. "She started having numbness and tingling about two weeks before she broke up with Mark. So, it can't be revenge."

"Something isn't right about that idiot," Draco growled.

Blaise nudged at Harry's side and Harry barely suppressed a chuckle. They lingered for a while longer, but when nothing interesting happened, they returned to their own time.

Harry ended the disillusionment charm and folded up his invisibility cloak with a weary sign. He was hit by a wave of nausea and dizziness. He glanced at his friends to see that they were faring no better. Blaise clutched at his head and sat down with a groan. Draco swayed a bit on the spot but pressed one palm against the wall to steady himself.

Hermione entered the room at the moment with Scorpius and Apollo. She was leaning forward slightly so Scorpius could grasp her fingers in a chubby fist as he toddled along next to her. Apollo stayed closely keeping an eye on both of them.

Hermione glanced up and frowned as she looked the three men over. "Are you alright?" she asked anxiously, her eyes darting back to Scorpius when he wobbled a bit.

"The time turners are still a work in progress," Blaise moaned. "They work well enough, but we haven't worked out some of the side effects. Luckily it'll pass."

Hermione tsked and scooped Scorpius up into her arms. "That's what happens when you meddle with time," she said told him in a sing-song voice.

"Uh oh," Scorpius said, his little voice sounding serious.

"Yes, uh oh," Hermione laughed, kissing one of his soft, round cheeks and making him giggle. She looked at the men again. "See anything interesting?" she asked.

"You could say that," Draco said, annoyance creeping into his tone despite his obvious fatigue. "Why didn't you tell me about Mark?" He saw Harry flinch, but chose to ignore it.

Hermione blinked in surprise. She eyed Draco's tense expression for a moment and scowled. "There was nothing to tell," Hermione said sharply. "The relationship ended and I had nothing more to do with Mark. I don't appreciate the accusing tone," she added.

Draco took a deep breath. "Sorry," he muttered. "It... bothered me, to see him with you... Even if it was in the past."

Hermione's face softened upon hearing that admission. "I broke things off with Mark when I caught him cheating," she explained. "To be honest, I was angry that he was unfaithful, but not heartbroken. It didn't hurt me to walk away." She grinned when she saw Draco relax his tense posture. "Does that make you feel better?" she asked with a knowing smirk.

"It does, actually," Draco replied.

Hermione frowned at him. "I can understand feeling jealousy," she said patiently.

"I'm not jealous," Draco blurted out defensively. He blushed when Hermione shot him a disbelieving look while Harry and Draco snorted with laughter. He huffed irritably. "I still think we should look into your ex," he insisted stubbornly.

"You can't stalk a bloke just because he dated your girlfriend," Harry reminded him with a grin. He was unfazed by the glare that Draco directed at him.

"Let's just check him out," Blaise said helpfully. "You questioned your own friends with veritaserum, so you might as well be just as thorough with people with a motive to harm Granger," he suggested, giving Harry a pointed look.

Harry sighed. "You know that we didn't mean anything personal by that," he told Blaise, sounding apologetic. "The fact remains that Hermione's symptoms started before they broke up. That ruins the whole 'jilted lover' motivation." He sighed again when Draco sneered at him. "Fine! If it makes you feel better, we'll check up on Mark. I was never fond of him anyway," he added with a shrug.

Hermione shook her head at Draco and then looked at Scorpius. "Your father is spoilt," she told Scorpius seriously. Scorpius nodded at her somberly.

Draco laughed, pulling Hermione and Scorpius to rest against his chest. He kissed Scorpius on the cheek before kissing Hermione softly. "Mine!" Scorpius cried, lunging forward to place a very slobbery kiss to Hermione's cheek, making her giggle against Draco's lips.


	8. Sometimes, The Solution Is Stalking

Draco was tired of crouching in bushes. He was a Malfoy. Aside from the war, he'd had a rather pampered childhood. He was an excellent healer and ridiculously wealthy. Why the hell did he keep finding himself huddled behind shrubs with Blaise and Harry and getting the knees of his trousers dirty? It was irritating and rather undignified. It was worth the aggravation if they could find answers for Hermione. But, that didn't stop Draco from complaining.

"Stupid foliage," Draco grumbled. "Who the hell put this hideous... plant thing here?"

"It's a bush," Harry said flatly. "Nobody put that there specifically to inconvenience you. Will you stop being such a git?" Blaise snickered.

"Fine," Draco snapped. "How long do we have to stand around and watch this stupid tosser?" He peered over the bushes at Mark who was pacing between two trees.

Harry rolled his eyes and focused on watching Mark. They'd traveled back to the confrontation between Mark and Hermione in the park but, this time, they followed Mark. He seemed agitated and restless. His hands combed through glossy brown hair, mussing his carefully styled locks.

A woman hurried toward Mark, her eyes darting around. She stopped in front of Mark and gave him a knowing look. "That didn't go well," she said pointedly.

Mark's handsome features twisted into an ugly scowl. "It wouldn't be an issue if you could have kept your hands to yourself," he snapped.

The woman gave a flirty smile despite his angry tone. "I don't think my hands were the problem," she responded coyly. She sighed when he gave her a disgruntled look. "Forget about Little-Miss-Perfect. You don't have to be close to her. Besides, it's not like you can't get a look at her. We know where she lives and where she works."

An invisible hand clamped down on Draco's arm. "I told you," Draco snapped, though he sounded a bit smug.

"I can't believe this," Harry groaned.

Mark and the woman, Lydia, continued to speak for a few moments. Unfortunately, they didn't say anything to hint at what had been done to Hermione, or even if they had personally done anything to her. But, they knew what was going on. And that meant that Harry, Draco and Blaise now had direction for their investigation.

The three men returned to Grimmauld Place and Blaise used the Time Turner to send them back to the present. They collapsed together in the sitting room, falling to their knees. Blaise lifted the Time Turner chain up and away from Draco and Harry, allowing them to shift away from each other.

Harry rolled onto his back with a heavy sigh. Draco allowed himself to fall back as well, but he shifted himself around to rest his head against Harry's abdomen. Harry glanced down at the blond head with a raised eyebrow. "Why?" Harry asked wearily.

Draco gave a lazy shrug. "Floor's too hard," he said.

"Good idea," Blaise said. He rolled onto his back as well, propping his head on Draco's stomach.

That was how Hermione found them men just a few minutes later. Apollo walked into the room beside her with Scorpius grasping onto his fur for stability.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Hermione said with a grin. "I can come back when you're finished cuddling."

Harry groaned, shoving weakly at Draco's shoulder. "I'm too tired to hex her," Harry moaned.

Draco rolled his head back and forth slowly, looking between Hermione and Harry. "You will not hex my girlfriend Potter," he drawled. "I would be forced to... do something terrible to you."

"Very clever," Blaise mumbled, nuzzling into Draco's stomach sleepily.

It was at that moment that Severus, Ron and Pansy stepped into the room and stood beside Hermione. They stared down at the men and then glanced at Hermione to see her shaking her head in amusement.

"I hate to break it to you," Pansy commented, "but that is not quite how an orgy is done." This made Ron chuckle while Hermione bit her lower lip to stifle her giggles. Severus shuddered at the idea.

Draco shot Pansy a dirty look before shoving Blaise off of him and then rolling away from Harry. "Shut up Pansy," Draco grumbled, as he clumsily got to his feet.

"I'm not sure the time travel is worth it mates," Ron said skeptically.

Draco smirked. "Oh yes it is," he replied smugly, "because I was right."

Hermione blinked in surprise. "Right about what?" she asked.

"You're worthless ex-boyfriend," Draco replied, feeling quite pleased with himself.

"Mark is involved," Harry explained, watching as Hermione's eyes widened in shock. "At the very least, he's aware of what happened and had wanted to keep an eye on you. The woman you caught him shagging is in on it too."

Hermione was horrified. That meant that there was a very good chance that Mark had dated her for the purpose of making her ill and then observing her. It was a good thing that she hadn't had strong feelings toward Mark, because this revelation would have been devastating. As it was, Hermione was spared a broken heart and was instead filled with white hot fury.

"Wow," Pansy said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Mark must be outrageously stupid. What sort of blithering idiot would do something like that to Hermione Granger? He had to know that he wouldn't survive if she ever found out."

"The only reason we're aware of it is because these three have become time-travel voyeurs," Severus smirked, gesturing at Blase, Draco and Harry.

Blaise snorted. "That makes it sound a lot more fun than it actually is," he commented, making Harry and Draco chuckle.

Hermione took a deep breath hoping to calm herself, but it wasn't working. Draco seemed to understand and moved closer to pull her into his arms. She resisted for a moment, wanting to let her anger burn for a while, but then allowed Draco to cradle her against his chest.

"I know you're angry," Draco said softly. "We'll make him pay for his betrayal. But, for now we've got to wait. He could lead us to more information." He pulled back a bit to meet Hermione's eyes. "He'll suffer for what he did, I promise. But we need to find out if if there are more people involved and what they're using to make people sick. Please be patient." When Hermione nodded a bit petulantly, he chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"So what does Mark do?" Severus asked impatiently.

"He's the head of finances for St. Mungos," Hermione supplied irritably. "He makes sure the departments get funding they need and that nobody exceeds their budget."

Severus nodded thoughtfully. "And the woman?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure," Hermione said apologetically. "She looked a bit familiar though."

Ron frowned thoughtfully, reaching down to pick up Scorpius when the little boy tugged at his trousers. "Why don't we talk to Healer Abbott?" he suggested. "He should be able to help us track down Mark so we can tail him. He may even be able to identify the woman."

This plan was readily accepted and the three time-travelers were given pepper-up potions. "Anything to keep Parkinson from talking about orgies," Severus said, rolling his eyes. Pansy just smirked in response.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'll never finish at this rate," Hermione laughed as Scorpius plopped down onto the wrapping paper for the fourth time. Hermione had been attempting to wrap Christmas presents, but Scorpius seemed to enjoy disrupting her progress. Christmas was just a few days away and Hermione wanted to finish up with the presents. "You're nearly as demanding as your father," she giggled, kissing a soft round cheek.

"Watch it Granger," Draco said, though he sounded amused. "Or your demanding boyfriend may just return your Christmas presents." He tried to giver her a stern look, but her amused grin made his lips twitch into a smile.

"Big talk," Hermione retorted, setting Scorpius aside so that she could smooth out the wrapping paper again. "We both know that you're rather fond of me." She flicked her wand, causing the colorful paper to neatly wrap itself around the boxes stacked neatly in front of her. She turned back to Draco expectantly.

Draco smiled and shifted closer to her, cupping her face in his hands. "I am fond of you," he agreed before kissing her tenderly. He turned his head to look at Scorpius. "Do you think we should let her keep her presents?" he asked his son.

Scorpius smiled brightly. "Yes!" he chirped happily.

"Finally," Draco sighed. "I thought we'd never get past the 'no' phase."

"No," Scorpius said, though he nodded his head in agreement.

Draco laughed, pulling Scorpius into his lap. "Are you going to keep talking to me?" Draco asked, smiling as Hermione leaned against him.

"Daddy," Scorpius murmured, snuggling against Draco while reaching out to grasp a handful of Hermione's long curls.

Draco cradled his son while pressing a kiss to the top of Hermione's head as she rested against his shoulder. He was nearly overwhelmed by the realization that they felt like a little family. He hadn't felt like that since before his wife died. He suddenly felt whole again and he was startled to feel his eyes prickle with tears. To his dismay, Harry chose that moment to enter the room.

Harry's gaze swept over Draco, Hermione and Scorpius. Scorpius was drifting to sleep on his father's lap while Draco and Hermione sat on the floor surrounded by wrapped gifts. Hermione looked sleepy but peaceful. Draco, however, seemed to be struggling to contain his emotions. His misty gray eyes met Harry's for just a moment before he looked away in embarrassment.

"I've got a bed ready for Scorpius so you don't have to take him through the floo," Harry said lightly. "Hermione, why don't you go put Scorpius to bed? I'll help Draco put all these up," he said, gesturing at the gifts. Hermione nodded and stood up. Draco rose as well and passed Scorpius to her silently. She kissed him swiftly before carrying Scorpius out of the room.

Harry turned to Draco with a thoughtful frown. "You alright mate?" he asked quietly. "You looked a bit upset."

"I'm not upset," Draco responded, his voice huskier than normal. "I'm just..." He paused, drawing in a deep breath. "It was like having a complete family again. I wasn't sure that I'd feel that again." His eyes dropped to the floor as he tried to calm himself.

Harry stepped closer and pulled Draco into a tight hug. Draco tensed for just a moment before returning the hug. It was a strange experience, but Draco allowed Harry to comfort him for the moment. When Harry released him, Draco felt calmer. Harry smiled widely at him, without judgement.

"You know," Harry said with a mischievous grin, "Hermione would be a great mum."

Draco laughed and shook his head. "One thing at a time," he chided. "We've got to make sure that I can keep her around first. I can't stand the thought of Scorpius losing another mum."

Harry sobered again, but his smile remained. "We will," he said firmly.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Christmas morning, Draco, Scorpius and Narcissa arrived at Grimmauld Place with a large bag full of wrapped presents. Narcissa set about organizing the gifts while Harry and Ginny played with Scorpius. Gifts for the rest of their friends remained in the bag while the others joined the presents already under the Christmas tree. It was still early, so Draco hurried up to Hermione's room to wake her.

Hermione's eyes fluttered open as Draco was peppering soft kisses all over her face. "Good morning Love," he said with a grin. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas," she responded with a sleepy smile.

"Do you need to sleep more, or would you like to join us downstairs?" Draco asked.

Hermione's smile widened and she sat up in bed. Draco helped her up and waited patiently while she got dressed in gray leggings and a white over-sized cashmere jumper that hung down around her nips. Draco found the look adorable. Once she had brushed her hair out and put it into a loose ponytail, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of amazingly soft, fuzzy socks. He had her sit down so he could kneel on the floor and put the socks on her feet. They were so comfortable and Draco had charmed them to stay warm.

"There we are," Draco said, giving her feet a fond squeeze before he stood up. "Let's go then." He led her out of the room and down the stairs to join the others.

Breakfast was ready and they all sat around the table to eat. Harry had gotten up rather early to prepare a wide variety of dishes. He was so happy to have Ginny home and to spend the day with his friends that he didn't mind losing a bit of sleep. He was gratified to see Hermione looking so happy.

"Thank you Harry dear," Narcissa said kindly. "You went to so much trouble to prepare this for all of us."

"I loved it," Harry assured her with a grin. "I'm just so glad to have everyone here." He shot Ginny a loving smile.

To everyone's surprise, Ginny looked a bit nervous. "I actually have some news," she said carefully.

"What is it?" Harry ask curiously.

Ginny hesitated and then straightened her shoulders. "I've decided to leave the Harpies," she said firmly. "I've already played my last game. I'm done with professional Quidditch. I'm ready to be home."

In that moment, the room fell silent. Harry, Ron and Hermione had frozen in place. Draco was confused until he glanced at Hermione and realization struck him. Hermione had once explained that Harry and Ginny planned to get married one day, but that Harry hadn't wanted for her to miss out on a Quidditch career. Ginny hadn't thought it was fair to expect for Harry to simply wait for her, but Harry had stubbornly refused to be with anyone else. So, Harry had patiently waited while Ginny played Quidditch. Ginny's decision to quit must mean...

Draco's thoughts halted when Harry hastily jumped out of his seat and fell to his knees beside Ginny's chair. Harry's breathing seemed a bit ragged and his eyes were bright with tears. He looked overwhelmed and almost frantic as he stared at Ginny with undisguised hope and longing.

"Does this mean..." Harry trailed off, reaching into a pocket of his trousers and pulling out a small black box with trembling fingers. "Marry me," he blurted out, his voice unsteady. "I can't stand it any longer, please..."

Ginny's arms shot out and yanked him closer so quickly that they nearly toppled out of Ginny's chair. "Yes!" Ginny gasped, her tears overflowing as she held onto Harry tightly. "I'm so sorry Harry."

"Don't be," Harry managed through his own tears. He pulled back to meet her eyes. "I was happy to support your desire to play Quidditch. I would have married you before now, but I didn't want to hold you back."

Ron watched the pair for a moment. "Mate, do you always carry that with you?" he asked, gesturing at the ring box which was still gripped tightly in Harry's hand.

"Always," Harry admitted sheepishly. "I just needed the right moment to ask. And it made me feel better to have it with me when Ginny was away."

"So beautiful," Narcissa murmured, dabbing at her tears.

Draco rolled his eyes but he was smiling. "So, will we get to see the ring?" he drawled. "Or are we expected to imagine what it looks like?"

"Right," Harry said, blushing. He opened the box and removed the ring, carefully sliding it onto Ginny's ring finger.

"It's beautiful," Ginny whispered, pressing an eager kiss to Harry's lips. She held her hand up, displaying her new engagement ring proudly. The platinum band had a one carat diamond in the center and a row of five smaller diamonds going down each side. It sparkled brightly in the sunlight that streamed in through the window.

Draco sighed and moved around the table to stand next to Ginny. He held out one hand expectantly and said "May I?"

Ginny allowed Draco to take her hand so he could look at the ring up close. She was very fond of Draco, but she'd hex his bollocks if he made a single scathing remark about her ring.

Draco eyed the ring seriously for a moment before he squeezed Ginny's hand gently and released his grip on her. He returned to his seat, offering Harry a smile. "Very well done," Draco told Harry with an approving nod. "The design is simple but it's stunning. It most certainly suits your bride-to-be," he added, winking at Ginny. Ginny beamed at him.

Breakfast concluded with no further theatrics (aside from Scorpius throwing his spoon at Ron and giggling) and they all returned to the sitting room. Harry couldn't stop smiling as he handed out the gifts, his eyes constantly straying back to Ginny.

Everyone enjoyed watching Scorpius opening presents. He got an absurd number of toys and clothes, but it had been especially funny to see Draco's look of dismay when Scorpius climbed into an empty box and proceeded to ignore all of his toys aside from a stuffed dragon that Hermione had given him.

Hermione was surprised when Draco pressed a gift into her hands. She'd received several presents from him, but he seemed rather excited about this one. She pulled away the wrapping paper to find a box from a high end wizarding jewelry store. The box was bigger then her hand but still very light. She lifted the lid and her eyes widened as she gazed at the contents of the box.

Draco reached over and ran one finger over the chain of the necklace. The platinum chain looked so delicate but it was charmed to be unbreakable. The charm was an infinity symbol covered in radiant blue diamonds. Over the center of the infinity symbol, small white diamonds were arranged into the shape of a heart. Included in the box was a beautiful pair of blue diamond solitaire earrings.

"What do you think?" Draco asked softly, watching Hermione's face.

"They're beautiful," Hermione replied, turning her head to kiss him. "But this is too much."

"Don't be silly," Draco chuckled. "I fully intend to buy you beautiful things at every opportunity. That's the price you pay for dating a Malfoy," he added with a wink.

"Poor Hermione," Ginny sighed shaking her head. "The horror of being with a man who wants to shower you with diamonds." She giggled when Hermione rolled her eyes.

Once the gifts had been exchanged, Narcissa, Draco and Scorpius returned to Malfoy Manor to prepare for the evening. Narcissa was hosting an informal Christmas party and had invited all of the Weasley's, Harry, Hermione and Draco's band to attend. She hadn't been sure about the arrangement at first, but she'd grown so fond of Draco's newest friends that she was happy to welcome the entire Weasley family into her home.

The residents at Grimmauld place went to the Burrow for yet another gift exchange and games. Harry, Ron and Ginny kept a close eye on Hermione, noting that she tired more quickly than usual. Molly eventually sent Hermione up the stairs to rest until it was time for the party.

Despite the extra sleep, Hermione was exhausted by the time they all arrived at Malfoy Manor. She wanted to appreciate the elaborate Christmas decorations and glittering lights, but a wave of dizziness prevented her from seeing anything other than the backs of her own eyelids. She kept her eyes closed as a pair of strong arms caught hold of her and lifted her off of her feet to be cradled against a firm chest.

"Just rest Granger," said a familiar voice. Blaise... Blaise must have been close by when she had been hit by that nasty wave of vertigo.

Draco's eyes widened with alarm when he spotted Blaise holding Hermione. He rushed over with Severus close on his heels to check on her. "Is she conscious?" Draco asked anxiously.

"I think so," Blaise said, adjusting his hold on Hermione a bit.

"She's been really tired today," Ginny said helpfully. "Hermione, are you alright?" she asked a bit louder.

"Dizzy," Hermione muttered, frowning at the nauseating spinning sensation.

Harry sighed, drawing Ginny more closely to his side. "I think it was too much for her today," he said, eyeing Hermione nervously. "We had the excitement at our house, then the Burrow and now here... This is getting more difficult for her," he added quietly.

Severus impatiently brushed everyone aside so he could get close to Hermione. He held a vial of pepper-up potion in one hand while he used the other hand to lift her head. Her eyes fluttered open and met his concerned gaze. "I need you to drink this," he said, lifting the vial for her. He slowly poured the liquid into her mouth a little at a time so she wouldn't choke. "Good girl," he murmured, tucking the empty vial back into his pocket.

Blaise carefully set Hermione down and a cream-colored chaise lounge before hurrying away to get her a drink. Draco joined her on the lounge, looking her over apprehensively. She looked so frail and tired.

Hermione yawned and squeezed Draco's hand. "I'm fine Draco," she said lightly. "Enjoy the party."

"I'm perfectly happy to sit here with you," Draco responded, leaning closer to place a tender kiss on the side of her neck. "Perhaps when that potion takes effect we could dance," he suggested, nodding through the doorway where George could be seen dancing with Angelina.

Hermione agreed eagerly, and after several minutes the dizziness had passed and she felt more like herself. She allowed Draco to help her up and she followed him to the next room to dance. She looked around the Malfoy's ballroom but she was quickly distracted from the finery by Draco pressing her closer to his body.

Despite spending so much time with him in the last few months, Hermione blushed at being the center of Draco's intense focus. He gazed at her with such love and tenderness that, in that moment, nothing else seemed to matter. He guided her around the floor carefully but confidently. Periodically, he pressed gentle kisses to her forehead, all the while never missing a step.

Everyone was talking and laughing, nearly forgetting about all the past animosity between the Weasleys and the Malfoys. Draco was pleased to glance over and see his mother speaking with Arthur and Molly and then laughing at what had probably been a terrible joke from Arthur. The Weasleys seemed quite at ease in the manor and happy to include Theo, Greg, Blaise and Pansy in their conversations.

"This is going quite well," Hermione commented, leaning against Draco as she looked around at their friends. "It's nice that we could all be together."

"It is," Draco agreed lightly, looking down at Hermione. "You look tired again. Let's go sit down. I'm sure Scorpius is nearly ready for bed as well."

Draco led Hermione away from the ballroom and soon found Scorpius being held by Harry. Harry and Blaise were chatted in an animated fashion, as if they'd been friends for their whole lives. Scorpius was awake, but his eyelids were heavy as he nuzzled against Harry.

Scorpius spotted Hermione and Draco and eagerly held his arms out. "Mine," he whimpered pitifully.

Hermione took Scorpius from Harry and smiled when he snuggled against her chest and stuck his thumb in his mouth. Hermione walked over to the chaise lounge and carefully sat down before relaxing against the soft cushions. Scorpius squirmed a bit, apparently in an attempt to get more comfortable, and then closed his eyes with a sleepy sigh. Draco smiled down at the pair for a moment before stretching out next to Hermione and pulling her to rest against him. They were all fast asleep within minutes.

That was how Severus found them a little while later. He'd gone in search of them, wanting to check on Hermione. She seemed so weak and fragile earlier, scooped up in Blaise's arms like a child.

For a moment, Severus just stared. Draco was laying on his side, one arm wrapped protectively over Hermione's abdomen and his face resting against her shoulder. Hermione was lying on her back, pressed against Draco. Her arms were cradling Scorpius who had fallen asleep with his head on her chest. One of his chubby hands was curled around a lock of Hermione's hair.

"That's just precious," said a quiet voice to Severus left. He glanced over to see that Ginny was standing next to him. "They're all so good for each other," Ginny added softly. Severus nodded his agreement.

"Will Hermione be alright?" Ginny asked, looking up at Severus. Her warm brown eyes were fearful and pleading.

Severus sighed. "She's not doing well," he admitted reluctantly. "We've got a lot of information that will help us get to the imbeciles responsible for her condition but... I'm afraid that time grows short. We haven't been able to reverse the damage fast enough and she's getting weaker." He was silent for a moment and then he shook his head. "This will break Draco's heart," he said quietly, finally turning and walking away.

Ginny watched her ex-professor leave with a heavy heart. Hermione was dying and they all knew it. Harry hadn't gone into detail when he'd told Ginny about seeing Draco in the past, but Ginny knew enough to know that Hermione's death would shatter Draco.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few days after Christmas, Hermione and Severus sat together in the lab at St. Mungos while Draco was seeing patients. Hermione wasn't able to spend as much time walking around, but Severus had seemed pleased to work in the lab with her. It allowed Hermione to continue to feel useful and Severus had access to a second set of hands to prepare ingredients.

After two hours, Severus went two retrieve cups of tea. He gave one cup to Hermione along with a nerve potion. She looked at the nerve potion and then frowned at Severus. He gave her a knowing look. "You've been having trouble holding on to the stirring rod," Severus told her patiently.

Hermione sighed and her eyes darted away from him. She took the potion without complaint, wrinkling her nose at the unpleasant taste. She remained still while waiting for the potion to work, carefully avoiding Severus' gaze.

Severus sighed and reached out to place his hand over hers. "We are not quitting," he reminded her sternly.

Hermione looked up at him sadly. "I'm so tired Severus," she said, almost in a whimper.

Severus looked pained at that. "Hold on for Draco," he insisted. "And Scorpius. We can still figure this out."

She drew in a shaky breath. "I'm trying," she whispered. "It's worse every day."

They were interrupted when the door swung open and hit the wall with a loud bang. Pansy strolled into the lab as if she owned it, her eyes sweeping the room with a politely curious expression. She frowned at Severus and Hermione with concern. "Looks serious," Pansy said lightly.

"It's not been a good day," Severus said cautiously, his hand still resting over Hermione's.

Pansy moved closer to hug Hermione tightly. "It'll be alright Love," Pansy murmured, carefully stroking down Hermione's back with one hand. "I've brought some good news for you." She paused, looking between Severus and Hermione expectantly.

"Spit it out," Severus growled impatiently.

Unfazed, Pansy wrinkled her nose at him. "So unpleasant," she commented to Hermione placidly. "I don't understand how you're friends with him." This brought a tiny smile to Hermione's face, so Pansy nodded in satisfaction. "I found out who that woman was... The harlot that was sleeping with your ex." She calmly sat down on one of the chairs, pointedly ignoring Severus' sneer. "Her name is Lydia Downs and she works at the apothecary that supplies a great deal of the potions at St. Mungos," she said, raising one carefully sculpted eyebrow with a triumphant smirk.

"That makes sense," Hermione said slowly. "That's why she looked familiar. Mark would come in contact with her because he approves all of the transactions with the apothecary." She frowned at Pansy. "How on earth did you find out?"

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Never send a man to do a gossip's job," she said with a dismissive wave. "They're so keen on their time travel and 'reconnaissance' that they missed the very obvious solution."

"Which is?" Severus asked, sounding bored.

"I followed the cheating bastard!" Pansy cried irritably. "No time travel. No invisibility cloak. I got his name from Ron. I found out the places that he likes to go and followed him until he led me to her."

"He didn't see you following him?" Hermione asked, eyeing Pansy speculatively. Pansy generally stood out in a crowd. Her wardrobe, while stylish, was designed to draw attention to her... assets. You couldn't miss it when Pansy Parkinson entered the room.

Pansy gave Hermione a pitying look. "Darling, I know how to blend in if I need to," Pansy said, giving Hermione's knee a little pat. "Sometimes that's the only way for one to get the information one needs," she added with a dignified sniff.

This was, apparently, a bit too much for Severus. He buried his face in his hands with a groan, his elbows propped up on the table. In the next moment, his shoulders were shaking with suppressed mirth. Pansy stared at him with mild concern.

Draco walked into the lab and froze when he saw Pansy. His eyes darted to Severus and widened with bewilderment.

"That's not my fault!" Pansy declared firmly, pointing at a still laughing Severus.

Severus calmed himself enough to lift his face from his hands and look over at Pansy. "It's completely your fault," he said, his lips twitching slightly.

"What the hell are you going on about?" Draco snapped.

"I did your job for you," Pansy retorted sharply. Then she smiled brightly. "You're welcome," she said sweetly.

Draco scrubbed one hand over his face. "Pansy, can you just..." He sighed. "Please?" he asked tiredly.

Pansy heaved a put upon sigh, but she relented. "The woman's name is Lydia and she makes potions for St. Mungos," she said flatly, clearly disappointed that her theatrics weren't appreciated.

"She works for the apothecary," Draco said, his brow creased with a thoughtful frown. "Now we've got more to go on." He relaxed a bit and shot Pansy a grateful smile. "I should have considered using your skills as a stalker sooner," he said with a smirk.

Pansy glared, but Draco responded by yanking her into a hug. Pansy shrieked in surprise, squirming in his grasp. "Unhand me you ungrateful wretch!" she growled, struggling to push him a way. Draco chuckled wickedly and held on, just to spite her. "Hermione, remove this... this savage from my person!" Pansy demanded. When that didn't work she reached up and pinched Draco's nipple hard. It worked, and he yelped, jerking away from her in an instant.

"Take that you great brute!" Pansy cried, leaping to her feet and patting down her ruffled hair. When Draco moved again, Pansy took a step back. "Stay back you! My boyfriend's an auror and I'll have you..."

"Boyfriend?!" Hermione and Draco cried out with wide eyes. Severus dropped his face into his hands again in a desperate attempt to stifle a nearly hysterical bout of laughter.

Pansy's shoulders dropped as she realized what she had shouted in a fit of pique. "Bollocks!" she growled in exasperation.


	9. A Family That Love Built

Ron froze with his fork hovering above his plate. The chicken alfredo, that had been on it's way to Ron's mouth, slipped off the fork and back onto the plate, creating a wet sound that made Draco wrinkle his nose slightly.

Harry and Severus were united in their enjoyment of Ron's discomfort. Hermione had taken it upon herself to mention Pansy's use of the term "boyfriend" and Ron had instantly turned the most interesting shade of red. Severus had promptly set his tumbler of firewhiskey down, feeling that a sudden bout of uncontrollable laughter would inevitably lead to choking or spraying the table in an embarrassing manner.

Harry had suspected the relationship between Ron and Pansy was more than just shagging. Ron had been very quiet on the matter, and Harry hadn't questioned it. Ron would bring it up when he felt comfortable. But, Pansy hadn't seemed capable of being quiet about anything. Harry shuddered. That thought reminded him of the one time he'd walked past Ron's room really late, only to discover that the pair had forgotten to use silencing charms. Evidently, Ron was doing unspeakable things to Pansy and she was rather enjoying it. Harry had cast the strongest silencing charm that he could and gone to bed feeling quite nauseated. So, Harry couldn't bring himself to feel bad for Ron's discomfort.

Ginny looked between Ron and Pansy in surprise. "I didn't think you were actually a couple," Ginny said. "I assumed you were just shagging each other silly for fun." Ron made a strange sort of gurgling sound while Severus and Harry grinned wickedly.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Honestly, if there wasn't something between us, I wouldn't be shagging him still," she pointed out. "I don't bother shagging a bloke more than once if he's not worth a relationship."

"That's true," Draco said helpfully.

Pansy nodded her thanks for his support. "I'm not some tart that'll shag anything that will hold still long enough."

"There's the lie."

"Draco!" Hermione admonished in a scandalized tone, while Severus and Harry snorted with laughter. Draco grinned unabashedly.

Pansy scowled at Draco before turning to give Ron an expectant look. "Am I nothing but a shag to you?" she demanded. "Are you embarrassed for your friends to know about our relationship? Are you ashamed of me?" Her voice had become shrill by the end of her brief interrogation.

Ron stared at Pansy in shock for a moment before finally lowering his fork to his plate. "You know that our relationship isn't just about the shagging," he said sharply. "And no, I'm not ashamed of you. The only embarrassment I feel is because my friends... do that!" he blurted out, pointing at Harry. Harry had abruptly dropped his head to the table and was shaking with laughter.

"Harry James Potter," Ginny groaned. "What's gotten into you?"

Harry lifted his head, his face flushed from his laughter. He looked over at Ron with slightly watery eyes. "I'm sorry mate," Harry managed to choke out. "I wouldn't mock your relationship with Pansy. I'm happy for you both. It's just..." Harry shook his head and smiled. "It's just that everything's been so stressful lately and you're such an unlikely couple." Harry paused again and shook his head. "I'm really sorry," he said, shooting Pansy an apologetic smile.

Pansy sighed. "I think all the tension is getting to us," she commented. "Snape was giggling like a first year earlier."

"I was not," Severus growled indignantly. He scowled when Hermione, Draco and Pansy exchanged amused smirks.

Ron finally smiled, shaking his head. "Are we quite finished gossiping and giggling?" he asked, giving Harry a pointed look. Harry had the grace to look embarrassed.

"Yes, let's move on," Severus said, happy to shift away from his uncharacteristic laughter from before. "Parkinson's purpose in disturbing our work was to announce that she is far better at stalking than Draco, Potter and Zabini," he told Ron. He smirked when Harry and Draco scowled at him.

"Mark works in financing for St. Mungos," Pansy explained. "He's shagging Lydia who works for the apothecary that makes most of St. Mungos' potions. There are at least a few others that they're working with... Two of the names I caught were Rosier and MacNair," she said, shooting Draco a meaningful look.

Harry's posture became rigid and his mouth sagged open. "How's that possible?" he demanded.

"Many of the Deatheaters had children," Pansy replied, rolling her eyes impatiently. "I'm not particularly familiar with the spawn of those particular Deatheaters," she admitted.

"They're just a few years younger than we are," Draco said helpfully. "They were horrid little brutes."

"And that's coming from Malfoy," Ron smirked. He chuckled when Draco sneered at him. He looked over at Harry. "Why don't we go break up the party?" Ron suggested. "We need to take them down before they hurt even more people."

"We'll gather a team," Harry said with a satisfied nod. "We don't want to risk getting overpowered if these bastards have a greater number than anticipated."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Hermione and Draco took Scorpius to Diagon Alley for some shopping. Hermione was desperate to get out of the house and Scorpius was quickly out-growning his clothing. Severus and Apollo joined them to lend a hand in case Hermione started feeling poorly.

"You didn't have to come," Hermione said told Severus lightly, reaching down to stroke Apollo's fur. "I know you hate all this," she added, gesturing vaguely at the crowds of people milling about outside shop windows.

Severus scowled at one witch that was staring at him, causing the woman to scurry away. "I prefer to be with you in case anything happens," Severus said, his gaze sweeping the crowds to avoid looking directly at Hermione.

Hermione grinned. "You have a heart of gold," she said, giggling when he rolled his eyes at her.

They stepped into "Wee Wizard-Wear" and purchased a great deal of clothing for Scorpius while Apollo sat patiently outside. Scorpius was rather unimpressed with the proceedings, so he entertained himself by running from Severus while Hermione and Draco selected outfits. Severus complained the whole time, but Draco didn't miss the slight twitch of Severus mouth when Scorpius giggled in delight.

As they were leaving the shop, Hermione was surprised when they nearly ran directly into Mark. She squeezed Draco's hand in warning, feeling relieved when he didn't automatically hex the other man.

"Hermione," Mark said coolly, eyeing Draco with narrowed eyes. "How nice to see you."

"How are you?" Hermione asked, grateful that she managed to sound perfectly calm. Apollo whined apprehensively.

"Delightful," Mark responded, though he didn't sound so thrilled about it. "And what about you? You seem to have lost weight. Have you been ill?"

"I have," Hermione admitted, dropping her eyes to the cobblestones at her feet. She couldn't let Mark know that she knew what he was doing. "I'm no longer able to treat patients."

"That's terrible!" Mark exclaimed, frowning with what appeared to be worry. He shifted his gaze to Draco. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

"I don't believe so," Draco drawled. "Healer Draco Malfoy." He shook Marks hand firmly, though he wanted to rip the man's arm from it's socket and beat him about the head with it.

"Mark Young," Mark said, his narrowed eyes focusing on Draco intently. He glanced at Severus briefly but looked away again at the older man's forbidding glare.

Draco nodded before turning away in a clear dismissal. "Come on Love," he said, pressing a kiss to Hermione's temple before bending to scoop Scorpius into his arms.

Scorpius had been holding Draco's hand and Mark hadn't even noticed him. The large golden retriever was far more distracting. Mark's gaze was drawn to the little boy now, his face tensing for just a moment before he nodded and hurried away. Hermione watched Mark leave, an uneasy feeling settling into her stomach. "I don't like the way he looked at Scorpius," she muttered darkly.

"Indeed," Severus agreed, looking around suspiciously.

"Let's just go get some hot chocolate," Draco suggested, hoping to keep Hermione calm. He shifted Scorpius in his arms and glanced down to see Apollo waiting patiently at Hermione's side.

An hour later, Draco and Hermione waited outside an apothecary with Scorpius and Apollo while Severus stepped into the shop to purchase a few ingredients. They planned to return to Grimmauld Place next. Hermione had done well for the outing, but Draco didn't care to push their luck.

Hermione jumped when Apollo yelped. She and Draco drew their wands, realizing that the dog had just been stunned. Another stunner came from the side and struck Draco, knocking him into a large window. Luckily, the glass held and Draco slumped to the pavement. Hermione grabbed Scorpius to keep him from falling. Their attackers took advantage and quickly stunned Hermione as well.

By this time, people were screaming in terror and running for cover. Severus looked up from one of the shelves in the apothecary and saw three robed figures approaching the shop with their wands raised. Their faces were hidden by their hoods. Panic flooded Severus and he dropped the bottle he'd been holding, bolting for the door.

One of the robed men snatched Scorpius away from his father's limp body. The man turned and apparated away when Severus burst through the door. The other two men raised their wands, but Severus blocked their attack easily. He sent his own spell out and disarmed one of the men as the other apparated away. Severus growled with fury, casting another spell to knock the disarmed wizard out, preventing him from fleeing.

Severus turned and knelt down to revive Hermione, Draco and Apollo. Hermione immediately burst into tears when she realized that Scorpius was gone. Draco looked as if would get sick at any moment. Apollo whined anxiously, nuzzling Hermione.

"Get Harry," Draco gasped, suddenly feeling as if he couldn't breathe. He moved to stand but Severus pressed a hand to his shoulder to keep him in place.

"Drink this first," Severus commanded, handing each of them a calming draught. He glanced around, noting the horrified stares they were receiving.

While Draco and Hermione helped each other up, Severus sent a Patronus to Harry. With that done, they all apparated back to Grimmauld Place with the unconscious attacker. Harry and Ron arrived just a minute later.

"The others are coming," Harry said grimly.

Ginny hurried into the sitting room, fully dressed and gripping her wand tightly. "Harry told me," she informed Draco. "I floo called Pansy and Blaise. We're not sitting this out," she snapped at Harry when he opened his mouth to object. "They took Scorpius! They attacked Hermione and Draco. This is personal and I have no intention of staying behind."

Harry blinked in surprise but didn't argue with her. Ginny looked furious and though he didn't want her to be put in danger, she'd be sure to make him regret attempting to leave her behind.

Blaise and Pansy tumbled through the floo, followed by Theo and Greg. "Greg knows Rosier and MacNair," Pansy said eagerly. "He knows where they live."

Before anyone could question that information, the other four aurors that made up Harry's team arrived. There was a brief argument when Draco and Harry demanded that Hermione stay behind, but Hermione refused to be swayed. If Scorpius was in danger, Hermione was going to go after him. She quickly swallowed a dose of her nerve potions followed by pepper-up potion to make a point. Draco drew her closer to his side with trembling hands but didn't argue any further.

Harry reached down and removed the hood of the unconscious wizard. The man's jaw was covered with a rather unkempt beard. His hair was dark, and he had long scar across one cheekbone.

"That's Michael Rosier," Greg said, shifting uncomfortably. "I can't believe he's involved. He's not very nice, but he doesn't seem smart enough to be in on this."

Harry revived Rosier and smirked when the man's eyes widened with panic at the sight of six aurors hovering over him. "Today is not your day," Harry said, folding his arms over his chest. "It's in your best interest to tell us what we need to know."

"I have nothing to say," Rosier snarled. He was disconcerted to see Harry grin wickedly.

"In that case, we'll just leave you to have a little chat with Mr. Malfoy," Harry said. "It was his little boy that was taken. I'm sure there's plenty he'd like to say," he added, gesturing to Draco.

Draco was standing off to one side with his wand clenched in one hand. His gaze was icy and his body was rigid as he contained the rage the threatened to boil over. Next to him, Hermione was eyeing Rosier like a predator, her wand ready to curse him with the slightest flick of her wrist.

"I'd be very afraid if I were you," Ron told Rosier. "Draco Malfoy is a former a Deatheater, as is Severus Snape." He drew Rosier's attention to Snape, who was glaring coldly. "And that," Ron went on, enjoying their prisoners discomfort, "is Hermione Granger." He glanced at Hermione with a smirk. "She's terrifying. She may be ill, but it doesn't keep her from being deadly." Ron leaned closer to Rosier with a sneer. "If you don't want your entrails on display, I suggest you start talking."

Rosier swallowed hard, his eyes darting around fearfully. "What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Where did they take Scorpius?" Harry demanded.

"The flat above the Apothecary," Rosier blurted out.

"How many?" one of the other aurors asked.

Rosier sighed heavily. "There's ten of us," he said.

"Alright," Harry said, straightening up and looking at the others. "Take him back to the ministry and keep him in holding," he instructed one of the aurors. "The rest of you, let's be off."

The group apparated to the alley behind the Apothecary. They didn't really have to worry about being spotted since this apothecary wasn't open to the general public. They supplied for places like St. Mungos or the Ministry. This fact just made the situation all the more alarming.

Harry crept over to a window to peer into the building cautiously. The apothecary seemed to be empty but he could see a light coming from the staircase. Harry used a few spells to muffle the sounds of their movement while Ron worked on breaking the wards that kept the back door sealed.

When the door was finally opened, everyone stepped inside silently. They could hear muffled voices and the dull thud of footsteps overhead. The cries of a young child made Hermione and Draco jump and exchange a panicked look. Harry threw his arms out to prevent them from racing up the stairs.

"Calm down," Harry whispered. "We'll draw them down here. Then you two take Severus, Pansy and Blaise upstairs to get Scorpius," he instructed. He motioned for them to move out of sight before turning to the others. "Capture them alive," he commanded firmly.

Harry and Ron waited at the bottom of the stairs while Theo and Greg took cover behind shelves with the other aurors. Once everyone was in position, Harry and Ron nodded to each other and raised their wands. Harry flicked his wand and the door at the top of the stair was blasted from it's hinges. Cursing and shouting was heard just before a group of wizards rushed down the stairs.

"I'm going to kill Rosier," Ron growled furiously, throwing up a shield charm. Rosier had indicated that there were ten, but at least fifteen witches and wizards had just rushed down the stairs.

Theo and Greg eagerly joined in with the aurors, firing spells and hexes. They had to provide enough of a distraction to allow Draco and Hermione to get to Scorpius.

Draco led his group up the stairs quickly, pausing at the top to glance around. Not seeing anyone, they stepped into the flat. Keeping their wands drawn, they followed the sound of whimpering down the hall and to a small room. Scorpius was sitting on the floor and barricaded with strong wards. Draco and Severus began working to take the wards down. A loud crash made them turn to see five more wizards stalk into the room.

"Get Scorpius," Hermione said urgently, lifting her wand defensively. Blaise and Pansy flanked her, keeping Draco and Severus safe so they could get to Scorpius.

Spells flew back and forth, sending showers of sparks everywhere. Hermione's face was ablaze with fury, her wand movements quick and precise. Unfortunately, she began to tire and it slowed her down. The dark wizards pressed their advantage and Hermione was hit with three stunners, her body thrown back into the barrier separating them from Scorpius.

"Hermione!" Draco cried, catching hold of her and lowering her to the floor gently.

"Get your son," Severus snarled, and then he stood up and whirled around. He fired spell after spell, never slowing. A jelly-legs curse sent one of the men careening into his comrades. They stumbled and quickly found themselves disarmed and bound with magical ropes.

Harry and Ron hurtled through the doorway panting. "Everything alright?" Harry asked.

Draco had finally taken the wards down and had Scorpius clinging to his side. His face was pale as he tried to revive Hermione. "We need to get to St. Mungos now," Draco said, his voice trembling.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How could you let her fight?" Narcissa demanded, her voice becoming shrill.

Draco swallowed hard, his gaze resting on the glossy hospital floor. "Hermione does as she pleases," he said wearily.

"Hermione couldn't just sit by when Scorpius was in danger," Harry said gently, placing a comforting hand on Draco's shoulder.

Narcissa nodded, her lips quivering. "Is she alright?" she asked softly.

Draco hesitated, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. "We're not sure yet, but probably not," he admitted, his vision blurred with tears. "She's so weak and she was hit by at least three stunners. At this point, there's a good chance that she won't wake up." Draco's knees buckled at this point and Harry caught hold of him, keeping him from hitting the floor.

Harry guided Draco to a chair, his own heart aching horribly.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione woke up two days later. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that the potions were no longer enough. She was horrified to find that she couldn't feel her legs at all. Her friends took turns sitting at her bedside, holding her hand and hoping to cheer her a bit. She looked frail in the hospital bed wearing a plain white gown.

"Severus is making fantastic progress," Draco said, gently running his fingertips down Hermione's arm. "We found their notes and a few vials of the potion they used to make people sick." He lifted her hand to kiss her palm. "We'll fix this."

Hermione sighed, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I can't even get out of bed," she sobbed.

Draco stood up and leaned over her, cradling her head against his chest. He stroked her hair tenderly, his own eyes overflowing. "Please don't cry," he begged her softly. "I love you so much and I'll do everything I can."

Harry and Severus stepped into the room, hesitating to interrupt the touching scene. Before they could retreat, Draco turned his head and spotted them. He sat up and waved them in, wiping his tears away sheepishly. He glanced over at Hermione and carefully brushed her tears away as well.

Harry approached the bed with a sad smile. "Any changes?" he asked hopefully.

"None," Hermione sighed. "No feeling in my legs and the nerve potion doesn't help."

"Merlin, I'm sorry," Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But now we've got the potion they used so we can work on a cure."

"I feel reasonably confident that I can cure it," Severus said helpfully.

Hermione struggled to sit up in the bed, growling in frustration when she had difficulty maneuvering herself. She fought the urge to sigh petulantly when Draco wrapped his arms around her and shifted her up into a more upright position. Harry adjusted the pillows and Draco propped Hermione against them, making sure she was comfortable.

"So, what was their plan?" she asked eagerly. "Why were they making people sick?"

Harry scowled. "A number of reasons," he replied, with a shake of his head. "Most of them have connections with the deatheaters and this was their way of getting revenge on everyone that opposed Voldemort. There was also a plan to try and force their way into power in the ministry. They wanted to make a cure and use it as leverage."

"Idiots," Severus grumbled.

"But, how did they do it?" Hermione asked.

"You're not going to believe this," Harry said, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly. "They put it in pepper-up potions. Not all of it, since more people would have been sick. Mark new exactly what was contaminated because of Lydia, so he knew who to watch."

"How's that possible?" Hermione muttered distractedly.

Harry sat down and leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his thighs. "Do you remember when you caught a cold?" he asked her. "I questioned Mark, and he said that you were a bit under the weather at work one day. You were given a dose of pepper-up potion, which was one that was tainted. You started feeling better, but it was just a few weeks later that you noticed the tingling in your arms."

Hermione pressed her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. "So, the students... The other witches and wizards..." she said faintly. "They came here when they were sick and they were given pepper-up."

"Exactly," Harry said. "Mark admitted that you were targeted. They were thrilled when you got sick. In fact, I was on their list as well," he admitted. "The only problem is..."

"You never get sick," Hermione concluded with a nod of understanding. She shuddered. "That's just horrible."

"They had a large supply that was ready to be distributed," Severus told her. "We did, at least, prevent a fresh flood of victims." He hesitated, and then walked forward to stand next to the bed beside Harry's chair. Severus reached down and squeezed her hand firmly. "I will be in the lab. Just... hold on." Without waiting for a response, he hurried from the room.

"Grabbing Scorpius hadn't been in the plan," Harry said quietly. "They wanted to get rid of you and Draco because they realized that you were onto them. Some of them are staff at the hospital and they've been watching you." He paused when Hermione shuddered. "Mark was furious that his goons grabbed Scorpius because he knew if would drive you to fight back and that you wouldn't rest until you'd got Scorpius back. He knows you well enough for that."

Hermione smiled slightly. "So he does still have a brain."

Pansy walked in a few minutes later carrying a vase overflowing with pink roses. She walked into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed looking pleased with yourself. "I've brought you a gift," she said proudly, indicating the roses.

"They're lovely," Hermione said. "They look strange though."

"That's because they're made of paper," Pansy said with a grin. "Take a look." She angled the roses closer to Hermione.

Hermione peered at the paper flowers, noting the slightly grainy texture of parchment. Some of the roses were fully bloomed while others were barely opened. She was surprised to see there was writing all over every petal. She met Pansy's eyes with a curious frown.

Pansy looked ready to burst with excited. "Oh, I just can't stand it!" she exclaimed with a squeal. She took a deep breath. "These are letters from your friends. Just touch one, and it'll read the letter to you."

Hermione reached up and stroked a petal on the rose closest to her. Her eyes grew wide as a familiar male voice began to speak.

Dear Hermione,

You are beautiful, inside and out. I'm so glad that we've been given the opportunity to be friends. You and Potter managed to pave the way to ending rivalries that I was sure would last forever. Just a moment ago, I was flirting shamelessly with a Ravenclaw and quite enjoyed it.

Your friendship means the world to me. Please know that I'd do anything for you. When you're feeling better, let's have dinner and go shopping. We'll have Pansy and Ginny come along.

Try not to be discouraged by this set back. You're stronger than you know and more brave than any of us could have imagined.

All my love,  
Blaise Zabini

Hermione smiled, feeling Draco shift closer and kiss her temple. "This is clever," Hermione admitted, swallowing around the lump in her throat.

Pansy grinned, looking through the roses. She pointed to one near the center. "Do this one," she instructed, nodding in encouragement when Hermione reached up to the touch the flower.

"Hello Hermione," Luna's voice rang out serenely.

I'm sorry that you can't walk now. Draco seemed so upset about that. But, I'm sure that he and Professor Snape will cure you.

You're such a good friend to me. Did you know that a lot of our old classmates are making friends with other houses. You and Draco seemed to break down a barrier. The different houses are starting to sit with each other.

Earlier, I thought that Blaise had been poked in the eye by a nargle... But, Ginny insists that he was winking at me. Isn't that strange?

Try not to worry. Your story isn't over.

Love, Luna

Pansy cackled with glee. "That's just too much!" she crowed. "Blaise thought he was being smooth but Luna thought he was suffering from an eye injury."

"Poor Blaise," Hermione giggled. She reached for another rose and listened with watery eyes. People from all four houses had written letters; wishing her well, expressing their concern, offering encouragement and love. After a simple but touching message from Greg, the tears finally spilled down her cheeks. "How did you manage this?" she asked Pansy.

Pansy smiled fondly at her. "Last night was another Hogwarts night," Pansy explained. "Seamus made an announcement to the group to let them know of your condition. Even I was a little shocked by the effect... Everyone was so upset. So, I told them that anyone who wanted to write you a letter could do so and that I would make this," she said, indicating the roses. She grinned. "I've got two more vases like this. You are so loved," she added softly, reaching out to squeeze Hermione's hand. "We're all with you."

Hermione smiled, closing her eyes as Draco cradled her head against his chest. Draco looked up at Pansy and mouthed the words "Thank you," knowing that his voice would break if he tried to speak.

Pansy smiled and set the vase on the table by the bed. She slipped out of the room silently, followed by Harry.

A moment later, Narcissa opened the door and entered with Scorpius. Draco shifted away from Hermione slightly so his son could see her.

"Mummy!" Scorpius cried excitedly, squirming to get closer.

Narcissa looked startled and she set Scorpius down on the floor. "Did he..." she began, her eyes shifting nervously to Draco.

"He did," Draco responded with a tired smile. He walked over to set Scorpius on Hermione's lap. "That is Ron's fault. He was playing with Scorpius and showing him pictures. Ron found a picture of Hermione and referred to her as 'mummy'. He tried to correct himself, but Scorpius latched onto it." Draco glanced at Hermione. "I don't mind. It... It seemed fitting," he said carefully. He was warmed by the tender kiss Hermione pressed to Scorpius' forehead.

Hermione was overwhelmed with love for the little boy perched happily in her lap. Scorpius wouldn't really understand the significance of calling her mummy. But it filled Hermione's heart with joy. "Such a good boy," Hermione said softly, earning a delighted smile from Scorpius.

Draco laughed softly, happiness flooding him in a rush. "Can you give Mummy a hug?" he asked Scorpius. His son responded by leaning forward and laying his head against Hermione's chest and attempting to wrap his little arms around her torso.

Narcissa moved closer, watching her grandson with tearful eyes. She looked over at her son with a faint smile. "You have a beautiful family," she said softly.

Draco made a sound that was halfway between a laugh and a sob. "Yes I do," he agreed, gathering Hermione and Scorpius into his arms for a hug.


	10. Life's Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, major angst here. Just warning you. Also, smut. You're welcome.

In the days that followed, Hermione was released from the hospital and was taken to Malfoy Manor. The other three residents of Grimmauld Place relocated to the Manor as well. Apollo was brought along so they could all be close to Hermione. Pansy, Blaise, Theo and Greg joined them, happy to stay close to their friends.

Despite Hermione's condition, they all made the best of it and their time was spent talking and laughing. Draco had been working on a new song, so the band practiced with their instruments set up in Draco's large bedroom. Hermione was normally propped up in Draco's bed in a nest of pillows with Scorpius snuggled against her side with his stuffed dragon.

Severus didn't feel comfortable staying at the manor, but he arrived at breakfast every morning and allowed himself to be convinced to stay for dinner each evening. He brought Hermione books and took time each day to talk to her before spending most of the day in the lab. He was joined frequently by Draco and Blaise and they worked on the cure. Hermione even assisted by going through all of the research left behind by her attackers and making notes.

Others came to visit with Hermione as well. Daphne and Astoria Greengrass arrived at the manor and fawned over Hermione in a manner that made Pansy roll her eyes in disgust. The sisters were a bit snobbish, but they seemed to genuinely like Hermione so their presence was accepted. Millicent Bulstrode was very quiet when she came by, but she'd brought flowers and asked to be informed of Hermione's condition. A few people from each of the Hogwarts houses arrived and offered Hermione their support, doing what they could to seem optimistic.

The rest of the Weasley family had arrived at the manor together. After the Christmas party, they didn't doubt their welcome. Narcissa seemed genuinely pleased to see them and Draco was grateful for their determination to make Hermione smile. Draco had been thrilled when George had pulled out an odd array of new items for the joke shop. Hermione looked torn between amusement and annoyance. It was infinitely better than thinking about the illness that was keeping her confined to a bed.

Two weeks later, it became clear that Hermione's time was running out fast. Draco woke up and was horrified to hear a gasping rattle coming from Hermione's mouth as she struggled to breathe. He'd shouted for the others and Harry had come barreling into the room looking frantic. He helped to get Hermione securely cradled in Draco's arms and they flooed to St. Mungos.

Doctor Hartley and Healer Abbott examined Hermione carefully, shooing a nearly hysterical Draco from the room until he could calm himself. Draco paced in the hallway while Harry and Severus watched him with wary expressions. Draco stopped abruptly and pressed both palms to the wall, drawing in a shuddering breath. "Severus, please tell me the cure is ready to test out," he said, not bothering to keep the painful desperation out of his voice.

Severus frowned, shooting Harry an anxious look. "Not quite," he admitted, though the words seemed to pain him. "Keep me informed," he muttered before he hurried down the hall to continue his work.

Harry sighed and reached out to catch hold of Draco as the blond moved to resume pacing. "Just stay calm," Harry said quietly.

Draco shook his head fervently, squeezing his eyes shut. He shuddered as Harry pulled him into a tight hug, offering what little comfort he could. "I can't lose her," Draco choked out. "I can't stand it. I need her."

"I know," Harry whispered, his tears falling, unchecked. "I know you do."

Doctor Hartley stepped into the hall, her eyes darting to the two men. "She's stabilized for now," she said, watching intently as Draco and Harry hastily swiped at their tears. "You can go in and see her." Her eyes were sad as she watched them hurry past her.

Draco felt as if his heart was being crushed as he looked over Hermione's sleeping form. She looked even more fragile and her breathing was still harsh and rasping. Healer Abbott stood at her beside, a grim frown creasing his brow. He met Draco's eyes sadly.

"It's terrible to watch someone so brilliant waste away," Abbott said quietly.

"We're not giving up yet," Draco responded firmly, his voice rough with emotion.

"Of course," Abbott murmured. He cast a pensive look at Hermione before walking over to Draco and giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze. "If you need any assistance at all, don't hesitate to send for me." When Draco nodded his acceptance, the old healer left the room.

Harry and Draco sat down on chairs on either side of the bed, each carefully taking hold of one of Hermione's hands. Harry sighed, watching Draco stare at Hermione fixedly.

Two days passed and Draco was forced to admit that the potions he'd been giving Hermione were no longer helping. It was as if her magic had given up on protecting her. Every breath she took was a struggle and she'd become so weak that she could barely lift her head or move her arms.

Narcissa brought Scorpius to St. Mungos to see Hermione. The little boy had been crying for her and, though Narcissa wouldn't admit it out loud, she felt that this was likely the last chance Scorpius would get to see Hermione.

Draco slid into Hermione's bed and propped her up against his chest in a sitting position. Once she was secure, Scorpius was place on Hermione's lap and Draco reached around her to keep his son in place.

Scorpius kissed Hermione's face and snuggled against her. She smiled weakly at him, her heart bursting with love for the little blond. When "Mummy" was whispered against her skin just before he put his thumb in his mouth, her tears poured out and she choked back a broken sob. She heard Draco make a soft, wounded sound behind her and his arms tightened around her. It was a bittersweet way to say goodbye.

That night, Draco fell asleep in a chair next to the bed. He was leaning forward with his head resting on one arm while his other was stretched out to hold Hermione's hand. Their friends had left in order to give the couple a little bit of time alone. Dr. Hartley had informed them that Hermione wasn't likely to survive the night. Draco was devastated, but he was determined to spend Hermione's last moments with her.

Draco was overwhelmed with grief and exhaustion. He really hadn't rested since they'd brought Hermione back to the hospital. He cried himself to sleep, clutching Hermione's hand. So, he was oblivious to the dark figure that slipped into the room at midnight. He was equally unaware when the figure left again ten minutes later.

Draco slept fitfully, never hearing when the rattling of Hermione's breathing suddenly stopped a few hours later and the room became deathly silent.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry and Ron walked into Hermione's hospital room anxiously. The quiet in the room was chilling. Tears welled in Harry's eyes as he gazed at the too still form of his dear friend. "She's gone," he whispered, feeling as if he was being suffocated with grief.

Ron's hands trembled and he clenched them into fists. "I think Draco slept through it," he murmured quietly, his own eyes growing damp.

The two aurors approached the bed, their thoughts scrambling to comprehend the concept of continuing on with life without Hermione Granger. Harry pressed his hands to the mattress, suddenly feeling as if his legs wouldn't support him much longer. Ron stared down at Hermione's peaceful face. He reached up and pushed some of her hair away from her face.

Hermione's eyes opened.

Ron screamed. Loudly.

Draco was startled from his slumber and jerked back so suddenly that his chair toppled over. His head hit the floor with a loud crack.

Harry hurried around the bed to help Draco up, wincing as he saw blood pooling on the floor. In the next moment, Healer Abbott and Severus came rushing in with wide eyes. Abbott's gaze swept over everyone before settling on Draco. After a few charms, Draco's head was healed and the floor cleaned of blood.

"Now, would anyone care to explain what's going on?" Abbott asked impatiently.

"We thought she was dead," Ron said, still looking shell-shocked as he gaped at Hermione.

"So Ron shrieked like a first year girl," Harry added with a smirk. He gasped in surprise when Draco launched himself at the bed, checking Hermione over with a manic sort of expression.

"Your breathing..." Draco began, his panic dying down to be replaced with bewilderment.

"Ah yes," Abbott said, smiling slightly. "Snape and I were just coming to check on everyone's favorite patient."

"I completed the cure," Severus said stiffly. "I administered the potion last night while you slept."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Draco demanded with a scowl.

"To be honest, I doubted that it would work," Severus replied. "The original potion was very slow acting and forced the immune system to do damage over time. She was so weak that I didn't think she'd live long enough for it to work. But..." he paused, looking decidedly uncomfortable. "I couldn't live with myself if I didn't make the attempt."

"She's cured?" Harry asked carefully, his mind struggling to keep up.

Severus pursed his lips, though he didn't quite manage to conceal his smile. "She is," he replied, meeting Hermione's eyes. "I think it will take some time to reverse all of the damage though. I also gave you a potion to help your lungs," he added.

Draco leaned forward and cradled Hermione's face, his tears running down his cheeks and dripping onto her chest.

"Don't cry," Hermione whispered, her lips curving into a sleepy smile.

"It's liquid joy," Draco retorted, making Harry and Ron snort with laughter.

"Get Severus, you silly man," Hermione said, yawning as Draco motioned for Severus to move closer. When Severus finally stood looking down at her, she reached out and caught his fingers with hers. "I can never thank you enough," she said softly. "I'm so glad that we're friends now."

"Insufferable know-it-all," Severus said lightly, sliding his hand more firmly into hers. "In the end, it was your notes that helped me finish the potion." He offered her a tentative smile. "I'm glad that you're alright. Now I'm going to go make more potions for you. I don't trust the imbeciles that this hospital deems appropriate to be handling potions." With a parting smirk, he swept out of the room.

Harry kissed Hermione's forehead gently. "You get some rest," he told her. "We'll bring everyone up to visit at lunch if you're feeling up to it." He turned to Draco and smiled. Before Draco could object, Harry had jerked him into a crushing embrace. Ron joined in, making it especially awkward when he rested his head on Draco's shoulder. Hermione giggled softly.

Hermione had so many visitors that day that the hospital staff started complaining. The ex-Slytherins had caused a bit of an uproar when they swept through the doors as if they owned the place and imperiously demanded to see Hermione. Of course, they'd brought along an alarming number of gifts as well.

Hermione was rather grateful that she was awake when Blaise and Luna happened to be in the room at the same time. Blaise was eyeing Luna hungrily and she seemed perfectly at ease with his less than subtle staring. Hermione rolled her eyes when she heard Blaise say "You have gorgeous skin. It's just begging to be touched." Then he winked.

Luna peered at him for a moment. Then she turned to Ginny who was suddenly looking horrified at the idea of being included in the conversation in any way. "I still think it's Nargles," Luna told her.

Ginny groaned, covering her face with her hands for just a moment. She dropped her hands to give Luna an impatient look. "Nargles didn't attack his sodding eyeball," she growled. "He's winking at you. He's trying to flirt, but he's not good at it."

Blaise looked offended by this comment, but Ginny just smirked at him.

"You think?" Luna asked, her voice suggested mere polite interest in the topic. But then, she turned to Blaise again. "Would you like to shag me?" she asked him. "I think that would be fun."

Blaise looked as if he might have a stroke for a moment. "Sweet Salazar, yes," he moaned, lunging at Luna and snogging her enthusiastically. The fact that she was giggling didn't faze him.

"Not in here!" Draco yelped, when Blaise's hands started to wander.

Ron had clapped his hands over his eyes howling "My eyes!" Pansy cackled gleefully.

Luna pulled away from Blaise and grasped his hand firmly, practically dragging him from the room. Blaise's face was lit up with an ecstatic smile. "Best day ever!" he shouted over his shoulder to his friends, just before the door closed.

Ron continued to rub his eyes vigorously. "Bloody hell," he grumbled. "Gonna need therapy after all this."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione's body healed very slowly from all the damage that the Multiple Sclerosis had caused. After a few weeks, new testing showed that the lesions that had been found on her brain and spinal cord were starting to heal and shrink. She slowly regained her ability to walk though she still battled numbness in her legs on occasion.

Draco insisted on her resting as often as possible. He doted on her and eagerly anticipated her needs in an adoring manner that their friends found rather amusing. He bypassed using the house-elves and always seemed to be rushing about fetching things or running errands.

One morning, Harry and Ginny had come by to visit and had witnessed Draco darting up the stairs with a plate of hot croissants that smelled rather sweet. Narcissa watched him go with a happy sigh. She turned to Harry and Ginny with a smile and shooed them up the stairs.

When they got to Draco's room, the door was sitting open and Draco could be seen sitting on the edge of his bed. Hermione was propped up in her pillow nest with Scorpius in her lap. Scorpius was holding a croissant with both hands and eating with obvious delight. Some of the flaky pastry stuck to his pale skin, but he didn't seem to mind. Draco was pulling apart one of the croissants and feeding it to Hermione. After each bite, he pressed a hungry kiss to her lips, tasting her mouth languidly.

"I'd tell you to get a room," Harry quipped, "but you've obviously got one." He walked into the room, followed by Ginny. "I see you're having a great morning." He watched as Draco turned his head to smile at them, and Harry was reminded of how much Hermione's recovery meant to Draco. The former Slytherin seemed incapable of containing his happiness at that moment.

"Good morning," Draco said pleasantly. He gestured to the plate of croissants. "Help yourselves. Those have a light coating of butter and honey. My family is quite fond of them," he added, his eyes drifting back to Scorpius and Hermione momentarily. Hermione blushed slightly, accepting another sweet kiss from Draco.

Ginny swallowed hard around the lump in her throat. Draco was obviously so in love with Hermione and overjoyed to have her on the way to recovering. Draco Malfoy had changed so much since they'd been in school, and Ginny was glad to see him so happy with one of her dearest friends. Watching the couple together filled her with warmth.

Ginny and Harry each grabbed a croissant from the plate and took a bite. Harry's eyes widened instantly. "Oh Merlin," Harry groaned, his eyes fluttering closed in bliss. He swallowed, and licked honey butter off of his lips. "This is amazing. Your house-elves made these?"

Draco flushed slightly. "Ah... no," he said hesitantly. "I made these. I wanted to do it for Hermione. There's not much I know how to make, but they turned out well."

Ginny moaned her approval, sucking sticky sweetness from her fingers. "They're fantastic," she said with a happy sigh. "You're a lucky woman, Hermione." She giggled when Draco winked.

"Alright, that's enough," Harry chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Draco doesn't need to have his ego stroked."

Draco smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, but I do so love to be stroked," he drawled, casually shifting his weight to rest more fully against Hermione. Hermione blushed scarlet at that comment, swatting his arm indignantly. Harry groaned at the insinuation while Ginny cackled gleefully.

"Well, this sounds like fun," Pansy said, entering the room with a smile. "I take it that Draco's being naughty?"

"A bit," Ginny responded with a grin.

Pansy shook her head fondly. "Well, it's too be expected," she commented airily. "Obviously he's deliriously happy that Hermione has been cured. Add that to the fact that she's regaining sensation in her legs, and he's probably euphoric." She shot Draco a sly look. "Nothing like re-acquiring a sex life to cheer a bloke up."

Draco's cheeks flushed with embarrassment while Hermione made a startled sound and hid her face in her hands. Ginny and Harry looked embarrassed but confused. "Do we even want to know what that means?" Ginny asked. Harry's grimace seemed to indicate that he would prefer to remain ignorant on the matter.

Pansy sighed. "Hermione has been numb," she said patiently. "Everywhere," she added pointedly. "Draco might be a randy bloke like the rest of you men, but it doesn't mean he'd push sexual activity on Hermione when she can't even feel it."

Harry made an odd choking sound.

"I hadn't thought about that," Hermione said quietly, her cheeks still rosy.

Draco scowled at Pansy before meeting Hermione's gaze. "Do not feel guilty about that," he told her firmly. "It's not that I wouldn't like to shag you senseless, but I'm content to wait and spend this time taking care of you. We'll re-establish our physical relationship when you're ready. I can wait." He kissed Hermione tenderly before standing up. "I have to go into work for a few hours. Those Hogwarts students are coming in for a check up."

Hermione looked very close to pouting. "I wish I could help," she said quietly.

Draco smiled. "You have," he assured her. "Your notes helped Severus make the cure that's reversing your condition. That same cure has saved the others. Now I need you to finish getting better. Please?" he asked, letting his fingertips stroke over her arm gently.

Hermione sighed softly. "Go to work," she told him. "I'll see you when you get home." She smiled when Draco kissed her again and then leaned over to kiss his son's forehead.

Draco hurried from the room with a wave to the others. Once he was gone, Pansy and Ginny jumped onto the bed making Scorpius giggle. "Now we can get to work," Ginny said excitedly.

"What are we working on?" Hermione asked.

"We're going to surprise Draco at the next 'Hogwarts Night'," Pansy said. "We hope to have you walking around much better. Doctor Hartley mentioned muggle physical therapy and gave us some ideas so we could work with you. You're still a bit unsteady and weak."

"Harry, why don't you give Scorpius a bath?" Ginny suggested. "We'll take care of Hermione."

Harry dutifully approached the bed and lifted Scorpius from Hermione's lap. "Let's leave the ladies to their plotting," Harry muttered. Scorpius managed to shove his finger into Harry's mouth. Harry pulled his head back and gently pushed the little hand away from his lips. "You're delicious!" he chuckled.

"Mmm..." Scorpius hummed happily, licking his sticky fingers.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco accepted a drink at the bar and looked over the crowd. Former Hogwarts students from all four houses were talking and laughing, all mixed in together. It was a strange sight, but it pleased him. The Slytherins and Gryffindors were mostly still rather wary of each other, but they were managing to be civil and that was quite an accomplishment.

Draco had left Hermione at the manor with his mother and Scorpius. Draco would have preferred to have his girlfriend with him, but he wanted her to get better. She'd made a great deal of progress, but she still had some recovery ahead of her. She still tired so quickly and she still had numbness in her extremities at times. Draco was happy to let her recover for as long as she needed.

"You ready mate?" Seamus asked, approaching Draco with a wide grin.

"Of course," Draco said, swallowing the last of his firewhiskey.

"Great," Seamus said. "Just wait here a moment."

Draco watched as Seamus wove his way through the crowd to the stage. For a moment, Draco cringed as he wondered what ridiculous name Seamus would announce for the band that night. At the last "Hogwarts Night", Seamus had welcomed the "Snake Charmers" to the stage and Draco had been mortified. Pansy had nearly collapsed in a fit of uncontrollable giggles at Draco's expression. Of course she was behind the series of increasingly ridiculous band names.

Seamus stood on the stage and patiently waited for the applause and cheering to die down. Once the audience was quiet, Seamus smiled broadly. "Welcome back to another Hogwarts Night at Mischief Managed," he said cheerfully. "I have very good news to share." He paused, seemingly for dramatic effect. "Hermione Granger is on her way to a full recovery." He laughed as cheers erupted again. "Thanks to Snape and Malfoy, a cure was made to heal Hermione and the others that were poisoned with tainted Pepper-up potion. So tonight, we intend to celebrate." Then, Seamus moved to stand to one side and watched as Pansy marched to the front of the stage.

Pansy offered a sassy smile before she glanced over her shoulder to see Ginny, Luna, Daphne and Susan Bones stepping onto the stage. The five women stood in a line as Blaise flicked his wand at the instruments and they started to play. The women began to sing together, their movements synchronized as they danced to their own song. They kept it simple, but the crowd loved it.

Draco sat down at a table with Severus and Minerva, grinning as he watched the women. He was glad that Pansy had included women from each of the houses. Pansy had obviously worked with her friends to get every move and note correct. He leaned into Severus. "This is impressive," he said, nodding at the stage.

"Indeed," Severus agreed, his lips twitching slightly.

After two verses, three of the women stepped to the right while the other two shifted left. In the gap between them, there was a sudden flutter of movement. An invisibility cloak was swirled and tossed aside to reveal Hermione Granger. Her legs were clad in denim and she was wearing soft black boots with very low heels. The top she wore was also black and clung to her slim frame. Her skin was glowing with health and she moved as if her brush with death had never happened. Draco's eyes traveled her lithe frame hungrily and his mouth suddenly went dry.

When the five women fell silent and Hermione began singing, Draco's face lit up. He was so enthralled that he didn't see his mother come to stand next to him until she placed her hand on his shoulder. He smiled at her, seeing that she was holding Scorpius. Scorpius squirmed excitedly and he smiled when he was set down on the floor.

All of the women were singing now, and Draco was overjoyed to see Hermione join in on the dance flawlessly. Scorpius ran to stand directly in front of the stage, waving happily at Hermione. Then he was attempting to dance, though his dance was more a series of wiggles and clumsy hops. The audience was clapping, singing along and grinning at the youngest Malfoy's joyous dancing.

When the song ended, Scorpius looked up at Hermione and held his arms up expectantly. "Mummy!" he cried, his round cheeks dimpled with his sweet smile. While the audience clapped, Draco hurried forward to lift Scorpius and pass him to Hermione. Draco climbed onto the stage and hugged Hermione and his son. "You were amazing," Draco said, pulling back to smile down at Hermione.

Hermione kissed him swiftly. "Your turn," she said playfully, turning to leave the stage and sit down next to Severus.

Seamus hurried to the front of the stage again. "That was a lovely surprise," he said with a cheeky grin. "And now for the main act..." He glanced at Draco, seeing the blond drinking from a glass of water. Seamus winked at Pansy and then turned to look at the audience, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "It is my great honor to welcome Draco Malfoy... And These Other People," he said, gesturing to the band.

Draco spit out his water. Blaise was scowling at Seamus while Theo and Greg were snorting with laughter. Pansy had covered her face with her hands and she was shaking with suppressed giggles. Harry stepped onto the stage, smirking and shaking his head.

"What the hell Finnegan?" Draco growled, wiping water off of his chin impatiently.

"It was her," Seamus said hastily, pointing an accusing finger at Pansy. Seamus left the stage, winking at Pansy as he passed her.

Draco shot Pansy an exasperated look before he waved Harry over and the band started to play. By this time, Harry had evidently been integrated into the group. Draco enjoyed singing with him and Harry had been consulted about the songs that the group had been writing. Harry felt a bit awkward on stage, but after a bit of firewhiskey, he relaxed enough to perform well.

The group went through a few songs, and the Hogwarts alumni danced, drank and sang along. Then Draco signaled for quiet and his gaze drifted to Hermione. "We have a special song to share tonight," Draco said, his pale face turning a bit pink. "Hermione... I love you," he said, blushing a bit more at the catcalling from some of the audience members.

The song was beautiful and Draco's voice was rich and warm. The lovely baritone caressed each note and sound filled the nightclub. Harry and Blaise were harmonizing, and shifting their gazes between Draco and Hermione. By the time the final chords were played, Hermione's eyes were brimming with tears.

The applause was deafening. Draco gave a small bow, his smile widening. He led the band in a few more songs and the audience joined in again, mingling between houses easily. Narcissa took Scorpius back to the manor early on since the little boy started falling asleep on Hermione's lap despite the loud energetic music.

Draco decided to wrap things up a little sooner than he ordinarily would have so he could take Hermione home. The crowd seemed to understand and bid the couple a good night as Draco pulled Hermione close to apparate back to Malfoy Manor.

Narcissa threw a dinner party the next evening. The Weasleys and Harry arrived just before dinner to find that Severus and the band members were already there. Dinner was rather extravagant and Hermione thought it was a bit too much, but Narcissa was looking so delighted to have everyone there.

After dinner, everyone gathered in the sitting room for tea. Hermione and Draco sat on one of the couches together with Scorpius snuggled up against Draco's chest, sound asleep. Hermione smiled at the little boy, running one finger gently over a soft round cheek.

Draco's eyes roamed Hermione's face for a moment while their friends chatted around them. He leaned a bit closer, locking eyes with her. "Will you marry me?" he asked softly.

Hermione's eyes widened and she gasped softly. Everyone fell silent, staring at the couple. Draco turned his head and caught Harry's eyes, prompting Harry to stand and walk over to them. Harry carefully picked up Scorpius and went to sit back down with Ginny, cradling the little boy gently while watching Draco and Hermione with a knowing smile.

Draco slid off of the couch and knelt in front of Hermione, ignoring their friends. "I nearly lost you," Draco told her quietly. "I've known for some time now that losing you would break me beyond repair. I love you so much, and I would do anything to keep you safe and happy. Will you marry me?" He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a small black box. He flipped it open and held it out to her, his hand trembling slightly.

Hermione breath caught in her throat. The ring was stunning. The largest diamond in the center was surrounded by a ring of smaller diamonds and there were more diamonds nestled in the band. "It's beautiful," she murmured. She drew in a shaky breath, tears spilling over her cheeks. She pressed a kiss to Draco's lips, her hands coming up to cradle his face.

When their lips parted, Draco smiled. "Is that a yes then?" he chuckled.

"Yes," Hermione laughed, kissing him again.

Their friends erupted in cheers. The sound woke Scorpius, who looked around with a bewildered frown. Harry grinned at the child fondly. "Now Hermione will really be your mummy," Harry said, smoothing the blond hair down.

"Mummy?" Scorpius asked sleepily. He looked around and then wiggled to get down when he spotted Hermione. He stumbled over to the couch, holding his arms out expectantly. He yawned adorably as Hermione lifted him into her lap.

Draco moved to sit next to Hermione again, wrapping his arm around her so she was pressed against his side. He smiled tenderly as Hermione kissed his son. His eyes grew misty when he heard her whisper "My sweet boy."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once all the guests were gone, Scorpius was put to bed and Draco led Hermione to their bedroom with barely restrained eagerness. He close the door behind them and instantly pressed Hermione against the wall, his body pinning hers. Cupping her jaw, he lifted her face and kissed her deeply. His erection was pressed firmly against her lower abdomen.

Hermione looked up at him when he released her from the kiss. "Eager?" she asked breathlessly.

"I'm sorry," Draco groaned, resting his forehead against hers. "I've wanted you so badly. I was happy to hold off on sex while you were sick, but it wasn't easy. The fact that you're getting better is making it difficult to contain my... enthusiasm."

Hermione smiled indulgently. "I don't mind," she said, gently running her hands over his chest. She stilled, her eyes lingering on her beautiful engagement ring. "I'm going to be your wife," she whispered, joyful tears filling her eyes. 

"You are," Draco agreed, catching her hand and holding it to his chest over his heart. "I can't tell you how happy you've made me." 

Hermione smiled and proceeded to unbutton Draco's shirt and push it off his shoulder and down his arms. She glanced at him coyly from beneath her lashes before removing his belt and getting his trousers open. 

Draco reached for the hem of Hermione's top, but he froze when she reached into his pants to run her fingers delicately over his throbbing erection. He moaned when she gripped him more firmly and lifted her face to kiss him. It took Draco a moment to get his bearings, but then he returned her kiss. He nearly sobbed when she released him and shifted away.

"You might want to get on the bed," she said with a grin, right before she pulled her shirt off and tossed it aside. 

Draco forced himself to approach the bed with as much dignity as he could muster. He reclined on his back, propped up against the pillows, watching as Hermione stepped away from the rest of her clothing. As soon as she had gotten close enough, Draco caught her round the waist and pulled her close, rolling over to pin her against the mattress.

It wasn't exactly what Hermione had originally planned. She'd wanted to please her new fiance, but she found herself letting the idea go for the moment as Draco slowly kissed his way down her body. When he settled between her thighs and his tongue brushed over her wet folds, her mind went blank for a moment. Warmth pooled in her belly and she squirmed with need until Draco entered her with two fingers while his mouth continued to draw shudders of pleasure from her. 

Draco was relentless. He seemed to enjoy cunnilingus as much as she did and happily brought her to orgasm three times with just his lips, tongue and fingers. Finally, he slid up her body looking rather pleased with himself.

Hermione felt as if she was completely boneless. She was sleepy and relaxed. She could almost drop into a blissful sleep, except...

She felt a firm nudge against her womanhood, and her eyes opened to meet Draco's gaze. She offered a little smile and then moaned as he entered her. She raised her hips to meet every thrust, delighting in every sound her lover made. 

Draco felt like he could die from pleasure. After a few moments, he felt Hermione gripped his shoulders. "Harder," Hermione begged in a breathy moan. Draco needed no further invitation. He shifted a bit, and thrusted harder, biting his lip when she gasped in delight. Soon, he was pounding into her as she came apart in his arms. His own orgasm swept through him and he nearly collapsed with the strength of it.

He carefully withdrew and rolled off of Hermione before casting a few cleansing charms. Once they were both comfortable, they curled up together. Draco's heart was full as he held this woman who had captured his heart. He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead and let himself drift off to sleep.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two Years Later

Draco walked into the Manor looking quite flustered. Harry and Ron followed, each wearing an amused smirk. Scorpius was walking between the two ex-Gryffindors, his arms extended upwards as he grasped their hands. Draco turned and looked at his friends. "I hate both of you," he hissed irritably.

Harry chuckled. "Oh come on," he said cheerfully. "It was hilarious."

"It was horrifying," Draco groaned.

"What was?" Hermione asked, entering the room with Narcissa, Ginny and Pansy. They had been enjoying some time together while the men went to lunch with Scorpius. Hermione was at the end of her pregnancy and would be ready to deliver at any time. She had one hand resting against her round belly, while the other rubbed at her aching lower back.

"How are you feeling?" Draco asked, moving closer and caressing her stomach gently.

"Fat," Hermione responded with a tired smile. She kissed Draco's lips sweetly. "So, what happened?"

"We did some shopping in Diagon Alley," Draco said reluctantly. "I wanted to pick up some clothes for Scorpius, so we were browsing through the racks." He paused, his expression looking a bit pained. "Suddenly, in a store full of people..." He paused again, his face flushing a bit in embarrassment.

"Your son," Harry said, looking at Hermione with a grin, "made a very interesting discovery and decided to share with the public." He dissolved into helpless laughter, unable to continue.

"Scorpius walked up to Draco and said 'Daddy my penis is pointy!'" Ron said grinning widely. "And he wasn't quiet about it. Everyone was laughing."

"Oh my," Pansy choked out, bringing her hand up to stifle her giggles. Ginny pressed her face to Pansy's shoulder, her body shaking with laughter. Even Narcissa seemed to be struggling to maintain her composure.

Hermione laughed in delight. She looked over at her husband and grinned at his miserable expression. "Draco, he's three," she reminded him gently.

Draco sighed heavily. "A shop full of people, Hermione," he said flatly. "Malfoys don't say... that."

Hermione kissed Draco again. "Apparently they do," she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief. She was pleased when Draco smiled slightly. She turned her attention to her son. "Did you have fun Scorpius?" she asked him.

"Yes," Scorpius replied, moving closer to place one chubby hand against her stomach. "I missed you Mummy." Narcissa, Ginny and Pansy made soft cooing sounds in response. Scorpius was a sweet little boy.

"I missed you too," she said fondly, reaching out to stroke his cheek. "You know, you probably shouldn't talk about your penis while in public darling."

"Okay mummy," Scorpius said with a dutiful nod. He glanced at his father and then back at his mother. "I make Daddy's face red," he said in a loud whisper.

"I'm sure you did," Hermione giggled.

Draco rolled his eyes, but scooped Scorpius up into his arms. Scorpius eyed his father uncertainly, obviously wondering if he was in trouble. Draco offered a reassuring smile and kissed his sons forehead, sighing with contentment when Scorpius hugged his neck.

The contentment faded in an instant when Hermione gasped sharply. Her eyes jerked to Draco's face fearfully. "My water just broke," she whispered.

Narcissa was the only one that remained calm. She gave out orders in a manner that suggested that she did this sort of thing everyday. Her authoritative attitude carried over to St. Mungos as well, since Draco was frantic and harassing the healers that attempted to care for his wife. Before long, Narcissa summoned Severus to give Draco a calming draught. Scorpius had been left with Harry and Ginny so the three year old wouldn't have to wait around at he hospital.

A few hours later, Hermione gave birth to a baby girl. Her tiny head was crowned with fuzzy blonde curls. Draco and Hermione could hardly take their eyes off of her. "She looks just like Scorpius did," Draco said softly, peering down at the baby cradled in his wife's arms. "Except for these curls," he noted with a grin, carefully running his fingers over the baby's hair. He kissed Hermione's temple, feeling like the luckiest man alive.

Scorpius was excited to see his new sister when they came home from the hospital. He sat on his parents' bed and stared at the new baby as Hermione finished changing her daughter and bundling her in a soft blanket.

"I can name her?" Scorpius asked quietly, reaching out to gently touch the baby's face.

"We've already named her Scorp," Draco laughed. "Her name is Lyra."

"Lyra," Scorpius said, nodding his head solemnly. "She's pretty. I can hold her?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course darling," Hermione said. "Come here sweet boy."

Scorpius crawled across the bed to sit next to Hermione. He held his arms out and smiled broadly as Hermione helped him to cradle his new sister. Hermione and Draco exchanged watery smiled when they saw their precious son lean close to kiss Lyra's forehead.

Draco sat down on the edge of the bed wrapping his arms around Hermione. He kissed her tenderly before resting his forehead against hers. "I love you," he said softly. "You've made me so happy."

"I love you too," Hermione said, relaxing in his arms. She couldn't imagine a more perfect moment with her beautiful family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! I'd love to hear what my readers think. Please review.


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